Barred owl at twilight. Double-click for a HI-rez view.I took a stroll throughout the road about an hour earlier than darkish. There’s a park alongside the Puget Sound and there’s one small part of outdated progress forest. I used to be on a path in among the many massive timber on my option to the water. I used to be listening to voice of Terry Lovelace, it was the audiobook Devils Den The Reckoning. I had simply began the ebook, and he spoke my identify within the listing of acknowledgments. He stated, “My comrade Mike Clelland.”
A little bit bit later I noticed a chunk of crumpled paper towel within the path, and I believed, “I ought to decide that up.” I didn’t, however I kicked it to the middle of the trail and I figured I might get it on the way in which out. A second later I noticed massive wings raise off from the ferns on the sting of the trail—it was an owl and it flew up and landed in a tree close by. I waited a second after which took a couple of steps in direction of it, and two extra owls lifted off the forest ground round a nook within the path. They flew in the identical course, previous the perched owl within the tree and deeper into the woods.
This was a small barred owl, and I managed to get an image. I attempted to maneuver a little bit nearer, and it flew away within the course as its comrades. I circled, discovered two lengthy twigs, and used them like outsized chopsticks to select up the paper towel within the path.
I carried it to the dumpster close to the car parking zone alongside the water. A younger ranger was there, and she or he noticed how I used to be holding the paper towel, and she or he stated, “Oh thats a good suggestion, I by no means considered that. I simply use my arms.” I put it within the dumpster and stated, “I didn’t wish to contact it, and the sticks are simply obtainable. You may get ‘em in there.” I pointed to the forest.
I informed her I’d simply seen three owls, and she or he gave me a glance of wow. We talked for a bit, and she or he stated she had seen an owl standing on the facet of the street not too way back, and she or he thought that was odd. I didn’t ask how massive it was. Then she informed me that she is afraid of birds.