OWLS, OWLS EVERYWHERE!

Okay, I am not speaking of Halloween, nor am I superstitious, neither am I a bird watcher (just so you know), but when I see something unusual in my backyard, I want to explore it.

It all started when our family went to see the Legend of the Guardians, an awesome animated 3D movie. You know you'll never sprout wings and fly, but if you want to feel like you are flying GO SEE THE MOVIE!! The graphics are that good! Oh, and also, the movie is a great conversation piece afterwards with the kids because the gist of the movie is taking the good path or the evil path! Except as an owl, not a person. Go figure - someone out there likes owls! Oh, and another thing I loved about the movie is the beginning where the baby owl coughs up his owl pellet. Remember last year at Classical Conversations me telling you about us dissecting an owl pellet? Yes, owls do not digest their food, nor do they poop, they actually cough up an "owl pellet" which basically is a hairball full of bones from some rodent. Uh-huh. I tell you that to say, if you didn't know that tidbit of info and you did decide to go see the movie, you would be lost as to what in the world was going on. But I'm glad my kids got to see that part.

Now on to point number 2. When we went to the Renaissance Festival we saw the Birds of Prey exhibition. It was awesome. Laci's favorite part of the festival. During the 1600s rifles and shotguns were not invented, so people actually trained birds of prey to hunt for them. They would train them to hunt and bring back their prey. The demonstrations were amazing. And can I say, those birds are amazing; hawks, eagles, vultures, and owls!

To me the barn owl is the prettiest of them all, except for the eagle, of course. He's also the star of the show in the Legend of the Guardians.

Point Number 3, THERE IS AN OWL PREYING ON OUR BACK YARD. Everyday around 4:30, there he will be. When I first saw him I thought maybe it was a hawk or something. He is huge, and brown, with a long tail, sort of like the one at the top of my post (Renaissance fest). Problem is, I can't get close enough to him to get a good look. Do you know an owl can hear a mouse tiptoeing? Anyway, I believe it's an owl and not a hawk because everytime he gets wind of me (OR MY LOUD CHILDREN) he takes flight, low to the ground, gracefully slower than a hawk, and he takes the same pathway around the backyard, i.e., along the path of the creek, perches into a large tree for a few minutes, and then crosses the yard outside the treeline. I know they're birds of prey, but are they also creatures of habit?

Our backyard would make for the perfect hunting grounds, wide open space, except for the treeline along the creek (gotta love that built in privacy fence.)

Anyway, I want to get a good look at this owl. He's been coming for a week now. Caleb suggests we get a telescope! I think maybe a pair of binoculars would do just fine. Anybody want to loan me a pair of theirs? Can you believe my avid hunter does not possess a pair? Sure, we've had some over the years. What's happened to them, I couldn't tell you.

Most owls come out at night, but some do stay awake in the day. We've been seeing ours in the late afternoons. Apparently our guy is not nocturnal. Or, exactly what time do these guys wake up and start hunting, if they are nocturnal? Does anyone know, or even care?

I'm just curious, raise your hand if you think it unusual that owls (on several occasions) have entered my life this past month?? And what exactly does it all mean?

Sometimes when you've actually studied about something, you are more prone to notice those things; when if not, you would never have noticed them at all.