Photo by Gary Stoltz, USFWS
In past years, I've heard the hooting of one or two Great Horned Owls within the woodlands adjacent to my backyard. (I lived in a rural area north of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania). So, a couple weeks ago, I instantly recognized the softhooting sounds of two Great Horned owls, a male and female. (You can tell the difference because the female's hoots are lower in pitch. However, in body size, she is the larger.) In fact, these two owls seemed to be rather close by, almost too close for my comfort, because I have a young cat who likes to prowl about in this same area of woods. And Great Horned Owls are known to take a domestic cat now and then.
Fast forward to a couple days ago around 8:00 pm when I went out to call my cat in for the evening. I went deep into the backyard to the fence line and turned to my right to see a large owl swooping down from the trees and onto the adjacent lawn of my neighbor. He was about thirty feet away. We looked at one another for an instant before the owl launched back into the air (without his prey . . . whatever that might have been), and I stood with my mouth gaping. (Of course, I had no camera and the image provided is in the Public Domain, thanks to the photographer Gary Stoltz and theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
Once the thrill of the encounter settled in my blood, I somewhat anxiously began to call for my cat, Ursula Majorette (otherwise known as Scrappy). After some moments, she graciously appeared, having not the slightest idea that she could have been a big owl's dinner had not he been otherwise distracted.
Until next time . . . Keep birds in your heart!
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