Our owls are back!

Do you have any regular wildlife visitors?

Hi Wild Friends!

For the past 20 years, every fall and winter, there have been one or more great horned owls in the forest by our house—except last year. The owls didn’t come last year, and I feared that the wildfires might have gotten them.

Last week I heard an owl calling the familiar “hoo-who” and this week, I spotted a great horned owl.

I love that at least one owl has returned. Owls are great because they keep the mice population under control—and last year, we had a horrible mice infestation—and they are the only natural predator of skunks. Owls have no sense of smell.

Great horned owls are also beautiful, and their call is quite calming.

We also have other types of owls around. Screech owls are common, and sometimes we get barred owls in the trees on the opposite side from where the great horned owls always come.

However, screech owls are annoying, and barred owls are invasive species in this area. Plus, neither bird matches the majesty of the great horned owl.

I wrote this haiku two autumns ago.

Do you have any regular wildlife visitors where you live?

Be the weird you want to see in the world!

Cheers,

Jason