Owlish

I caught a glimpse of the owl this morning.

I know, big deal. Well, it was a bit of a big deal, since yesterday he was nowhere to be seen. Usually, he'll hang out on the end of his branch for a bit during the day - maybe just a few minutes, but I swear, it's like he's waiting for me to see him and smile before he goes back in. Yesterday, he didn't show up, and I was worried. Especially when the blue jays were landing on his branch with impunity.

I told mum I hoped he hadn't gotten tree-sick and fallen off his branch or something. She laughed, and so did I...I mean, come on, can't you just see it? Poor little owl, turning a little green and...plop! It's been so windy of late, I know he's had some wild rides. I think yesterday he hung out by the trunk because it's quieter there. Smart bird.

I can still see him, head tucked down, eyes closed, perched in his usual place. I must say, my heart lifted a little to see him there.

Here comes the wind again.

Sorry, I mistook your dress!

Ah hah! I have been informed by the stepmum of all things birdish and by a lovely person from the actual owl pages who (I hope) wasn't looking to hunt me down and smack me upside the head for the egregious crimes of not knowing my owlish pal's proper sort and stealing her pictures...pant, pant...that what we have is, in fact, an Eastern Screech Owl. My stepmum said something about Rufuss, but I don't know the owl's name and am not about to ask - I think he's shy. (Kidding, I know what she meant, please don't flood me with messages both correcting me and calling me a monumental dumbass!!!) I know how that is - I am always awkward around new folks, too.

So, here's a proper picture (once more robbed borrowed from http://www.owlpages.com/) of an Eastern Screech Owl:

And my giant red squirrel new friend:
What do you think? Are they one and the same? I believe so...the coloring is much closer.

Kudos to S (my stepmum) for making the effort over the phone, and it wasn't a video phone either. And for using my blurry, Bigfoot-like picture to narrow it down. Also to D from Owlpage.com for identifying him with the same crappy picture. They both need to join some of those Yeti-watching expeditions and save us from grainy photo hell! Or the alien groups. Either one could use the help!I am happy to know what kind of neighbors we have moving in here, and T is somewhat less thrilled at the idea of a permanent resident who makes screeching noises. Heh.

I still have no idea if it'll stay. I may have some better pictures of it if I ever figure out how to load the video camera contents onto the computer via cable gizmo, and then onto YouTube (where it will receive the fewest hits ever) and then link it to...whew, OK, I'm exhausted and am now going to rest, have some tea, and try to think of ways to talk our feathery delight back tomorrow.

Update the second.

He (or she, for all I know - it's not like I can walk up and ask!) is back again today. I wonder if this means we have a new friend? Whatever the reason, I'm tickled to see it. It's not very big, so I am thinking it may still be a little young. Then again, I have proven that I have a dirth of knowledge regarding owlish things, so it could be an octogenarian!

So what do owls mean to y'all? I've always seen the owl as a messenger between the worlds and a guardian of dreams. I give friends and family little owl figurines or pictures to hang above their kid's beds, and there's a large, black stone owl outside my front door, one of my house guards. Perhaps an owl tattoo is in my future. Mmm, ink. Something a bit tribal, maybe like the Alaskan tribal art I see from time to time.

As I sit here typing, I can turn my head a little and see our friend sitting ever so still on the same branch from yesterday - it looks like a statue up there. In a little while, some of the smaller neighborhood birds will start hollering at it - seems they don't like owls hanging about, something about not wanting to be dinner.

Hah! It moved! A moment ago he (I can't keep calling the little feller "it", that's too impersonal and I am growing fond of him) turned his head around and had a good scratch. I can't blame him, feathers are itchy! A blue jay landed on a branch near him and began scolding, and the owl slooooowly turned and gave the jay the stink eye. The jay suddenly realized he (this one WAS a boy, I could tell by the coloring. I'm not completely hopeless!) had something urgent to do on the other side of the yard. I think we'll see more movement today, as it is far less windy and our feathered chum is feeling more comfortable.

It's better than the Discovery channel! Maybe Bird and I will learn about owls this week as part of our schooling.

I hope we weren't blessed with our new chum because it lost a home elsewhere. There's so much construction around here, soon our tiny patch of woods will be all that remains. Sigh.

Is it a sign of how dull my life has gotten, that I'm this tickled about an owl??

An update.

After hours more completely scientific observation (staring out the window betweeen solitaire hands)(oh, and while making dinner, because I am nothing if not a model home maker)(and I have a bridge to sell you...), contemplation, squinting, and muttering (including trying to peer through the detached eyepiece of a telescope which rendered the world tiny and upside-down), we here at Casa Bewildered have determined the mystery critter to be a Great Horned owl and not a giant red squirrel (unless it's a mutant giant red squirrel, in which case we'll be moving soon). It did, in fact, fly away at dusk.

We are hoping to see more of it, as it's possibly the third most exciting thing we've experienced here in Blahsville, the first being the advent of Bird and the second the new fridge. Sadly, it didn't leave an owl pellet, so Mike Rowe won't be stopping by after all and providing me with a new second most exciting moment (Bird will always be first, making me a complete schmaltz. I'm good with that.). Sigh.