Owl Art

Last month we were blessed with a very special visitor.
Elijah spotted a barred owl perched in the crook of a white birch about 20 ft from our kitchen window. Now of course, our kitchen is still in the old house. And I, rather uncharacteristically, had neglected to bring my camera with me. I mistake that this experience has taught me not to make again!

The sighting itself was incredible. We all crowded round the window, completely awestruck. It was so exhilarating! We barely even dared to breath! At one point Iain said "I wish he would turn his head, so I could see it" and, as if on cue, the owl obeyed. After a good long stay, we got to see his full wing-span as he flew right by the widow we had all gathered round. It certainly left an impression (the next day when we went down to the house, Galen immediately jumped down, pushed a chair under the window and started climbing up, shouting "owl! owl!").

When we got back to the house, we looked it up in our field guide, to double check all of the features we were identifying it by. I got out the coffee table book of bird plates that we just happened to have out from the library at the time (what? like you don't have one too?!?). And we read about habits and traits in there as well. We even read a poem on the barred owl.

Followed by the making of many pictures.

I gifted mine to Steve as a consolation for having missed out on something that I know he would have dearly loved to see.