Tag Archives: owl box

Bridges

Sitting in the yard as the sky transitions from twilight into night – the bridge of conversation and quiet watching between us – we  never cease to be amazed as an owl bridges the space from house to oak, then from oak to owl box.

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Mountains in front of us bridge the horizon from east to west.

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Watching, we see the North Star directly above the owl box, the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia bleeding their reflected light into the darkening sky; stars bridging the sky as far as we can see.

Blinking lights – white, green, red – reveal the path of planes as they bridge the spaces between the stars, seeming to knit them together with invisible thread to hold the universe.

A bridge – a transition – between the seen and unseen = faith.

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Postcard from the owl box

Feather – sign of new life in the owl box…

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Easter – new life made available for everyone!!!

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Meanwhile back at the ranch…episode 24

waiting…

purest white against greening meadow grass, the egret enjoys good hunting…

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remnants of last years owl meals cleaned away, replaced with new shavings…

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last night’s sunset silhouettes the waiting box…

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the past two Januarys have provided our first sightings of new occupants for the owl box…today is the 29th…will they appear…???

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drawing from

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Postcard from the Wolery

 Heartbroken last year on March 14, finding a broken egg on the ground below the box, we have been tentative with the barn owls this year…perhaps not wanting to become too attached. 

Occasionally leaving lovely reminders of their presence,

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they remain in residence.  Last evening at dusk they were particularly noisy, inviting us to come out to watch their flurry of comings and goings from the box.  With hope in our hears we wait to see…………..

‘grief is the price we pay for love’

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Postcard from the owl box

still watching for owls………….

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not Northern Flickers!!!!

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Meanwhile back at the ranch…episode 24

Reveling in the recent rains and lovely sunshine, mustard is once again blooming in the field;

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we are on owl-watch…just a year since we welcomed our first owl couple to the Wolery… then mourned their abrupt mid-March departure

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Not quite what we were looking for,…..today, an egg shell from the distant compost pile,

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probably deposited atop the box by this visitor

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for a mid-morning snack.

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– fly-overs by potential occupants, yes……..none have crossed the threshold, yet –

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– we wait hopefully, if not patiently

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Decorations by Ernest H. Shepard

The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne

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Update from the Wolery…episode 16e

‘in which the ‘box’ is a very busy place…’

Happily our owl couple has more or less resumed the schedule to which we had become accustomed.  Taking into account daylight savings time and ever-lengthening days, we are now treated to their presence at about 8 pm.

Highlights since the last episode…………..

The third owl (who made an appearance in episode 16b) returned briefly,

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and again was warned away.

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Very, very loud  squawking from inside the box – lest you think hatchlings, it is a very mature, single voice.

By day, the top of the box has become a favorite landing spot for all manner of other birds.

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blue jays, always with a ‘beak-ful’ of something

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mockingbirds, the entertainers of the bird world

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sweet and gentle doves

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Illustrations by E. H. Shepard

Color plates by J.J. Audubon for ‘The Birds of America’

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