waiting…
purest white against greening meadow grass, the egret enjoys good hunting…
remnants of last years owl meals cleaned away, replaced with new shavings…
last night’s sunset silhouettes the waiting box…
the past two Januarys have provided our first sightings of new occupants for the owl box…today is the 29th…will they appear…???
drawing from
Our owls have radically changed their routine! For just over a month they have delighted us with their comings and goings, chatter, and graceful flight each night. As dusk has arrived on the last two evenings they have been absent. Not to engage in hyperbole, but this almost feels like waiting for a late teenager out with the car…….. Watching until dark the first evening, we blamed their absence on the wind that had picked up just at dusk. Thankfully, during the night we heard their raspy call as they flew past our bedroom windows. Last evening we repeated the same vigil in the stillness, without wind – surely they would be back to the old routine. Watching again, this time until well after dark………..nothing! Upstairs, several hours later, we heard them loudly proclaiming their presence as they both flew in to sit atop the box. The emotion…..relieved that they are home or annoyed that they made us worry…………
perhaps if they left a note explaining their schedule….
I think I will put out some writing materials….
Illustration by E.H. Shepard
On cue, shortly after 6 pm, as though sensing the presence of a special audience, our owls gave a lively performance. The grandchildren loved it – enchanted by their raspy chirping and graceful movements.
Next morning we set out into the orchard with walking sticks
– our own version of Christopher Robin and friends exploring the Hundred Acre Wood.
By discovering clues on the ground (owl pellets), we found the owl’s perch in the oak.
We searched high
and we searched low,
but being nocturnal by nature, the owls are difficult to spot during the day.
…………the joy of seeing God’s creation through the eyes of children……….
Illustrations by E.H. Shepard from The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
To borrow a turn of phrase from A.A. Milne…
‘IN WHICH OWL MOVES INTO HIS NEW HOUSE’
For Christmas 2012 our youngest son presented this barn owl box to his father. Made to exact specifications from vintage wood, it came with high expectations for occupancy. After much research, discussion, and planning, the box was put up in, what we hoped, was just the right spot: facing east over an open field and in a position to be viewed from the house.
The House at Pooh Corner* immediately came to mind!!
the book given to me by my Grandpa Downs – Christmas 1947
the story of the characters in the Hundred Acre Wood
including the spelling-challenged Wol
who after the wind blows down the tree in which he lived, moves into the Wolery
Just yesterday we spotted a barn owl, looking much like the ones pictured below, fly into the box!!!
Such excitement in the neighborhood!!!
*The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne, Illustrated by E.H. Shepard
Filed under Exteriors, Family history, Garden, Nature
Susan Wennerstrom | W designs 