FROM SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

An Owl Story

SCOTTSDALE, July 5, 2007 - Nearly every night since about 18 months ago, I have been hearing the hooting of local owls.  Occasionally, I could see their silhouettes on moonlit nights.  Once in a while, I would hear the flutter of their large wings early in the morning when I walk out into the back yard, as they fled the approaching human.  But never ever have I seen one close up, especially not in daylight, which is when they are supposed to be sleeping.  Until today...

But first a preamble... a couple of week ago, I got a fake owl (click on right thumbnail) at the local Ace Hardware store.  Some little birds were making a mess in my back yard, so I thought I'd scare them away by introducing a predator to the scene.  It worked.  There are no little birds hanging around anymore.  But the move also had some unexpected results.

Several times during the last week or so, I would hear that flutter of the owl's wings when I walked out in the morning.  So I began to suspect that maybe they were hanging around more and longer than before, figuring by my statue that this was "an owl friendly neighborhood."  Today, I got proof of it.

As I walked toward the back of the house where my artificial owl sat on the fence, I looked up and saw a real one on a limb right above.  The real owl made no moves to flee.  I ran into the house to grab my camera.  He still did not move.

He boldly stared at me as I kept snapping pictures of him.  

When I walked out a couple of hours later, the owl was still hanging around, even mimicking my artificial one.  He landed on the fence about 10 yards away from the fake owl, and continued to stare at me from that distance.  I figured I'd made a new friend.  

"It's a good thing our Pussycat is no longer here," I told Karen later on.  But I have a new feathery "pet."  Now all I need to do is come up with a name for him.  Any ideas?

By the way, do you think that the word "howls" has anything to do with "owls?" Like H(oller)OWLS?  :-)

Owling Again: Meet "Owie" Again, My New "Pet"

SCOTTSDALE, July 28 - No sooner did I get back from my 'round the world trip, I found myself owling again.  :-)  Unwittingly. 

I was up early this morning again, still a little jetlagged, and went out to water my plants.  As I was running the hose to the rose bushes in the corner of my yard, I had my back turned to the "owl tree" (see above story).  That's when I felt a strange sensation.  Ever had a sense that someone is watching you?  Well, I did.  It was quite uncanny.  A thought crossed my mind... "is it...?"  I turned around thinking, "it couldn't be."  Yet it was...

(click on images to enlarge)

There he was again... "my owl."  I decided to name him Owie, after some of you suggested the names like "Howie" or "Oscar" following my initial "Owl Story" (July 5).  So there was Owie, calmly sitting on his perch, watching me water the roses from the distance of no more than 10 yards.  "Like... where have you been all this time?" he seemed to be wondering, like an old friend who was glad we met up again.  

Unhurriedly, I went inside to fetch my camera.  I had a feeling Owie would still be there by the time I got back.  He was.  He seemed be waiting for me to start our photo session, as if he knew the drill by now.  I snapped a couple of pictures.  Owie blinked once, as if the sun were in his eyes, but otherwise remained still, continuing to watch me with mild curiosity as I watered the remaining rose bushes.

My back was turned to him when I heard a sudden bird ruckus.  I turned around.  Several smaller feathery specimen were flying around Owie, making the kinds of sounds that birds do when they are agitated and scared (like if you come close to their nests).  They looked like woodpeckers.  Curiously, the little birds didn't just fly away.  They preferred to be agitated while flirting with danger near Owie.  Out of nowhere, even a tiny humming bird arrived, and started buzzing Owie's face.  "Birds with a death wish," I thought.

Through all this, Owie remained regally calm.  He sat on his mesquite branch like a monarch on a throne, slightly amused by the commotion his mere presence was causing among the underlings in his aviary kingdom.  He had probably already had his dinner during the night.  "Lucky birds," I thought, looking at woodpeckers.

At that moment, a much larger bird showed up overhead, creating even more noise than my local sunrise choir.  Owie slowly turned his head to see what that fuss was about.  It was an airplane taking off from the Scottsdale airport.  Having satisfied his curiosity, he returned his gaze to me.

I snapped another picture, a close-up this time.  We looked at each other silently for a while.  Then I picked up the hose again and went on watering.  

Owie seem to get the message: "Okay, the show's over," at least for this morning.  So he slid off his perch, his heavy body dropping him practically to the ground before his powerful wings kicked in and propelled him on his way, over the neighbor's house into the blue yonder of this beautiful Saturday morning.

"Bye, Owie," I said silently.  "Till we meet again."

Owie's Back

SCOTTSDALE, Sep 1 - And meet we did again.  Owie's back.  I saw him for the first time in the evening (all our previous encounters were in the early morning).  He was perched on a neighbor's roof.  Both of us were out watching a summer storm approaching from the northeast...

I have been wondering in the last month or so where Owie had gone.  He must have "heard" me...

I alternated between watching the US Open tennis and Owie who was still there at sunset, just having changed his perch a bit.

Owie's Back Again

SCOTTSDALE, Nov 29 - Owie's back again, after almost three months.  When I walked out this morning into my back yard, I noticed Owie's calling card - his unmistakable white droppings on the pebbles below my "Owie Tree."  I looked up.  And there he was, straight above me, staring down at me from no more than maybe 5-6 yards away.  Motionless.  Unperturbed.  Cool as a cucumber.  As if glued to the branch.

We just looked at each other for a minute or so, neither of us moving or saying anything.   Communicating only cosmically. 

"How come you slept in this morning?" Owie seemed to be thinking.  (It was around 11AM).

"How come you stayed up so late?" I was countering.  "It's well past your bedtime.  Anyway, I was working till 2AM.  What's your excuse?  No rabbit delivery service last night?"

Then I went inside to take my camera and try to memorialize our reunion.  I was wondering if Owie would wait.  When I came back out, he was still there.  I took a picture.  And missed, having hurried up my zoom adjustments.  By the time, I repositioned myself for a second shot, I heard the flutter of Owie's huge wings.

"That's it," he seemed to be saying.  "I've posed for your long enough.  Should have been quicker on the draw.  Some humans are so slow.  It's quite annoying.  I am off to bed now.  Bye."

And then Owie disappeared over the fence, across the neighbor's yard, toward his new bed in another tree where he would not be disturbed by a nosy and slow human.  Plenty of those around here; so many snowbirds at this time of year. (Huh... it even rhymes).  :-)

"Bye, Owie.  Sweet dreams!"

Back to Grayhawk index

Back to Home