Thursday, July 20, 2006

Owls

Last night as I sat on my patio with a glass of Malbec from Argentina, watching the fireflies sparkle green-gold in the twilight I heard a strange noise.

It sounded like someone snoring with a whistling hissing snore, rather loudly. Finally I got up and slowly tried to locate the source. It was around my house, in the front. Was it from the streetlight? A moment of horror of some imminant and terrible electrical explosion.... No there was something large and feathery sitting on the wires by the street light. An owl! I quietly and rapidly went and got my camera, came out and photographed the owl,




















Then I heard an answering whistle hiss behind me. Another one closer up on a tree branch!
















They were Barred Owls. A deep woodlands species. I live in a little enlave in a large natural wooded park. I had heard them hoot before (described as "Who Cooks For You? Who Cooks for You Now Ahhh!") but never heard of this noise, perhaps they were hissing at each other like angry cats, or perhaps they were saying harsh endearments.

6 comments:

Emano said...

That is so cool! [note: I've been working with teenagers too long.] And how nice that they waited for you to get your camera.

myo said...

Did they drop off any mail?

Jess said...

*laughs at myo*

That is indeed very cool.

Skywolf said...

Oh, wow! I would love to see owls. I hear one or two every so often, but have never seen them. So beautiful.

Emma said...

Ooh, pretty owls. I want one.

transparency said...

It's rare to see owls! In this you are lucky.
Such a beautiful encounter !