I love owls. I think it's partly because they're so mysterious, coming out only at night. They fly on wings adapted for silent flight, their eyes are so huge they can't move them (that's why they rotate their heads like something out of Poltergeist), and they have great calls.
My husband and I were getting ready for bed the other night (late) and I suddenly thought I heard something. You know, when it's not any of the normal house noises you associate with safety. We both froze and listened. After a moment, we heard a soft hooting outside. Sure enough, it was a Great Horned Owl. It called a few more times before we managed to get the window open, but by then it was gone. It's probably hunting the chorus frogs that have been calling around here.
I would have loved to see it...but owls are elusive. The Barred Owl we saw was a rare occurrence. I suppose my favorite encounter with an owl is when I worked for the Audubon Society. I was lucky enough to do outreach programs that required me to train with a screech owl. If you've never seen one, they are SO DARNED CUTE. You can hold them on your pinky finger, because really, they are 99% feathers. And if you gently bob your hand up and down, the owl's body will move, but not its head. It's hilarious to watch, but also serves a useful function in the wild if you're trying to hunt prey and a branch keeps swaying in the wind.
So two owls for our list...hopefully, we'll hear a Screech Owl soon and be able to add it, too.
