Guess Who is pregnant??
What a morning I had this past Wednesday…. a spectacular morning at Silvio - slight breeze and about 28 degrees - yet another day with a face mask. I have to say I felt it in my bones that I would see an owl Wednesday morning…. Wednesday marked 6 months since my/our beloved Lorraine passed away…
I arrived 30 min before sunrise - exactly when I wanted to arrive. I decided I would do the loop as many times as it was going to take to spot an owl - so off I went. I went as quietly as possible - scanning from high to low and everywhere in between. I thought I would have a good chance along the second boardwalk so I went very, very slowly… but no luck.
I then entered the part of the path that takes me through a portion of the woods - again, I was scanning high and low and everywhere in between. Again, no luck. I then made it to the second platform area where I usually spent a decent amount of time scoping it out as this is a very wet area - which owls love and where I have had some luck previously. I set up my tripod and camera and really took my time scanning left to right…. and then just as I began to look to my left again - out of my peripheral vision to my right I saw a flash of an owl’s wings going low and around the corner to the right! I knew without a question that the flash of wings had been an owl!
I immediately picked up my tripod and camera and made my way back towards the way that I had come and something…. honestly a very strong feeling came over me, that told me not stay on the usual path. Right at this point there is a well worn short path that often the workers at Silvio use as the deal with large broken tree limbs etc. I have only been on that path once in all of my countless trips to Silvio. I immediately felt that this is where I needed to go because when I had seen the flash of the owl wings, it seemed to me that it did not go far. Usually I am able to track their flight through thickets etc and I didn’t see it continue far so I really thought it had just gone around the corner…
The sun was still not up but it was certainly getting closer to sunrise. I walked as far as I could on that little path and made it to the end and I still did not spot that owl. So I turned around to start my way back on this path when guess who I spotted??? You guessed it - the Barred was on a limb up and to my right! As always, my heart starts pounding because it is so moving to be in the presence of these special creatures. This Barred was clearly extra large and so content that I thought to myself - Am I really seeing my first pregnant owl??? And I am 99% sure the answer is - yes! She was so content on that branch - and so incredibly peaceful - what a gift to be in her presence.
I observed this owl for over an hour and could have watched so much longer but I had to leave because I had an appt I needed to go home and get ready for. I will say this - as hard as life can be - like take me to my knees hard - I always find so much strength in the glory of nature and from the love and support from our family and friends. I know how blessed I am.
It is now time to come along with me and observe the glory of nature…
This is my first shot - look at how wide this owl is!
Just as the sun started to light up the trees behind her - she turned away from me….
And she turned back around just as the sun kissed above her eyes…
You know that I have spent countless hours observing Barred owls - I have never seen one keep its eyes closed so much of the time while roosting. This is another reason that I am convinced this is a pregnant female - she is exhausted!
All of a sudden I heard a lot of squawking from blue jays! Often small birds and/or blue jays will do what is called '“mobbing” - which means to try and bother a large bird like an owl to make it leave its perch. She immediately looked down and so did I -
A flash of movement caught my eye up and to the left - found two of them!
I could barely swing my camera around fast enough to see them swoop down and up behind her! You can see how bothered she is…. :)
Getting curious again…but not for too long.
I was really getting pressed for time and hated that I had to leave… but I really needed to go. I decided to move to my right for a couple of quick last shots - as she had just snuggled up a little differently on the branch. As soon as I got into position this beautiful lighting washed right over her - this precious sight made me take a very deep breath and exhale…
As I stepped back and away for the last shot of the morning - once again - I gave thanks.