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O RLY? Owl be damned!
Jan. 22nd, 2012 09:32 pmToday me and the kidlets were outside feeding the horses and such, when there was an absolute COMMOTION by a bunch of crows, just across the way. Like ... a commotion like I'd never heard before. Ten to twenty crows cawing their effing heads off.
Now, like every other good Canadian girl, I've read a fair amount of Farley Mowat books, my favourite, "Owls in the Family." In that book (where a young boy befriends a couple of owls) he tells us that crows HATE owls, and freak out when the see them, calling to their friends, until a whole flock of crows have gathered, screaming and jeering at the owl so that he would go away.
So I sez to my kids, I sez; "Dollars to doughnuts, there's a owl over there." Sure enough we trudge through the snow a few hundred yards to a clump of trees, and there's a Great Horned owl with a ??? rat? Muskrat? clenched in it's talons, sitting way up in a pine tree.
Harrison ran home to get the camera, and by the time he returned the owl had moved on. We tracked him down again in another grouping of trees, and I manged to snap the SHITTIEST picture ever. I mean for realz, I've seen better photos of big foot, but you at least get the idea. ;)
Since he/she blends in so well, I've outlined it in red. It's facing away from the camera. Too bad too, since we had a full five minutes of face time with him while my son went back to the house.
I've always had a fascination with owls, and even have my name in for 'hosting' an injured baby or adult, should one show up. I've seen them 'up close' at nature shows and a bird show at Disney, but never so close with one in the wild. Very cool day for me indeed.
And here's what they actually look like, incase you were wondering. They're pretty big, almost two feet tall, and when he flew away it was totally silent. Awesome!
Now, like every other good Canadian girl, I've read a fair amount of Farley Mowat books, my favourite, "Owls in the Family." In that book (where a young boy befriends a couple of owls) he tells us that crows HATE owls, and freak out when the see them, calling to their friends, until a whole flock of crows have gathered, screaming and jeering at the owl so that he would go away.
So I sez to my kids, I sez; "Dollars to doughnuts, there's a owl over there." Sure enough we trudge through the snow a few hundred yards to a clump of trees, and there's a Great Horned owl with a ??? rat? Muskrat? clenched in it's talons, sitting way up in a pine tree.
Harrison ran home to get the camera, and by the time he returned the owl had moved on. We tracked him down again in another grouping of trees, and I manged to snap the SHITTIEST picture ever. I mean for realz, I've seen better photos of big foot, but you at least get the idea. ;)
Since he/she blends in so well, I've outlined it in red. It's facing away from the camera. Too bad too, since we had a full five minutes of face time with him while my son went back to the house.
I've always had a fascination with owls, and even have my name in for 'hosting' an injured baby or adult, should one show up. I've seen them 'up close' at nature shows and a bird show at Disney, but never so close with one in the wild. Very cool day for me indeed.
And here's what they actually look like, incase you were wondering. They're pretty big, almost two feet tall, and when he flew away it was totally silent. Awesome!
