Owl caption contest winner: Pat Guido

Over a dozen people tried their hand at writing a caption for this awesome photo of an Eastern Screech Owl over the weekend.

Choosing a winner was hard, but not that hard, because Pat Guido went the extra mile by having the owl ask a critical question about the mysterious new operator of Belleayre Mountain Ski Center and by actually photoshopping a caption onto the original image. Well done, Pat! Your prize, as promised, is huzzahs all around. ("Huzzah!")

Our second-place choice was a submission by Joyce Spector, who suggested that the caption be "Honey Whoo Whoo," the name of the "newest Catskill reality star."

Thanks to everyone for your caption ideas. We'll do this again sometime soon -- it was fun. Here are all the submissions:

"Did someone say binders full of women?" -- Michael Schulz

I'm nature's noblest screecher! Apologies to Walt Kelly.-- Jim Gibbons

“Owl be holed up here.” -- Ben Fenton

“Stay out of my Great Horned hole.” -- Ben Fenton

"Just trying to blend in." -- Barbara Gref

"It's lonely being the aerial lookout for the annual Klingons of the Northeast meeting." -- Melanie Wesslock

Don't even think about cutting down this tree. -- Sharon Brookhouse Suess

Let's see that squirrel hide his nuts in here now! -- Joseph William

On vacation from his Hogworts day job... --Pema Wangmo

"NONE SHALE PASS!" -- Adam Miller

Peek-a-Whoo-Whoo -- Joyce Spector

Hooo Knows? -- Ira McIntosh

Hidy Ho neighbor" -- Sabrina George

"A wise old owl sat in an oak. The more he heard, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard. now wasnt that a wise old bird?" -- Sabrina George

Hey, can you see me? How good's this camouflage? -- Cathie Willie

10/24/12 Correction: Joyce Spector's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this post. It has been corrected.