Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Owls. Yikes!

A story from the weekend: My house butts up against Nature Conservancy land, so we are used to seeing wildlife - deer, fox, raccoons, hawks and other fowl - but mostly we hear the birds. The woodpeckers whacking like crazy on the trees and loads of different birdsound. It's very nice. And we see the woodpeckers a lot when we have the suet feeder filled (note to self: fill suet feeder). Humming...birds abound when the hummingbird feeder is filled (note to my sister Dana: fill hummingbird feeder).

Well, the other night I took Fred, Homer and Atticus out for their last walk of the night. This walk is usually around 11pm, could be earlier, could be a little later. When we went out, there was the sound of an owl. These owls are Snowy owls, the big, impressive white ones. When I purchased my house, the sellers gave me a photo of a Snowy owl sitting on one of the posts on the railing on the front porch of the house. I haven't managed a photo of my own, but it's pretty cool to see them up in a tree.

The noise was crazy and unusual. We had heard them once before, but the dogs were already inside and ready to get in their beds. But that noise while outside got the dogs going but good. I looked up - there was a full moon - and I saw the big owl on a tree branch, way up high. The dogs kept barking because the owl kept hooting, and then another owl on the other side of the property started in. And then the first owl flew over toward that owl. And then it REALLY got crazy because I heard at least four owls going at it. I wonder if it's mating season? It was disconcerting, especially when the sound started moving all around the trees behind and on the sides of the house. My house really is tucked back, completely surrounded by trees, so it was like these predator birds were getting ready to, um, do something. And the Beagles were freaking out. At 11 at night. And though my neighbors aren't real close, there is NO WAY my neighbors didn't hear this. And I am quite sure that my dogs would not have, finally, after MUCH effort, come inside if they, too, weren't feeling a little nervous about the goings-on in their back yard. I shiver just thinking about it. They've been quiet since, probably found a more private section of the woods for their business (wink). It's a good thing my sister Deb's dogs weren't with us; if these owls get hungry after they, you know, do it, little Mikey and Choli could easily have ended up a snack!
 
Choli and Mike, aka owl vittles:

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