Although we live in a relatively urban community, the forest primeval is never very far away. We like that. We take great pleasure in walking in the woods. We also take delight in the fact that forest creatures like deer, rabbits, raccoons, and even bears are found in some abundance in the region. In the case of rabbits, raccoons, and deer, sometimes too much abundance.
But one creature that I happen to know abounds, but Wendy had always expressed frustration that she had never seen one in the wild, is the owl. Over the years I’ve seen a number, and they never fail to enchant me.
Yesterday we took a walk in the woods on a delightful trail that is actually within city limits, and as we strode down a trail I could see something in a fir tree. Hey, I thought, this might earn points or even more. There, sitting in a branch about three-quarters of the way up was a wonderful Great Horned Owl – the Owl of All Owls as far as the species is concerned, in my esteem at least. Of course I pointed it out and Wendy was almost beside herself because she was actually finally gazing on an owl that was wisely observing us from his perch.
Owls are wonderfully cool creatures. I don’t think they are probably necessarily wise, but they were given that reputation long ago. Probably because they look sage-like. They can also turn their heads right around just like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. I don’t think they puke pea-soup, on the other hand.
Writers and artists have always loved owls, even if they are rather vicious predators. There is, of course, Howland Owl of the old and still-lamented Pogo strip. He was wise as all-getout. And there is the Winnie the Pooh owl, the self-proclaimed wisest creature ot the forest. Not only was he wise, he was literate, in a manner of speaking. However, he persisted in spelling his name Wol. By the way, I am a purist about W the P, and I refer only to the EH Sheperd illustrations not the awful commercial defiling of a childhood icon by Disney. That’s my bias and I’m sticking to it. Finally, there was Ollie Owl, Henery (sic) the Hawk’s friend in the comic books of the same title. I don’t remember much about Ollie, but I think he used to keep Henery, with this biker boy mentality, out of trouble.
Anyway, we saw our ‘Wol’ and we were delighted by him (or her). Truly did make our day. Funny how wild creatures can do that.
You actually saw the Owl of All Owls. What a treat!
Nice score. I’ve seen a GHO at a bird snactuary. A smaller variety hunts in our huge backyard. I saw a coyote on the train tracks today.
I had three baby ones a couple of years ago perched right outside my porch. But my best owl siting was a huge great horned owl who flew so low over my head when I was walking int he woods I could efel the air from his wings moving.
I’ve always thought owls were like flying cats.
Well hell… I saw a barred owl just yesterday.
Pictures at 11:00
Wow! You saw one.
Every so often, at night, I can hear an owl hooting outside our window and I often run to stick my head out so see if I can see it but never have done so far …..probably, as my husband always points out, because it’s dark !!!
I have loved owls all my memorable life. I remember the haunting call of the Moreporks when I was a child, in rural New Zealand.