A few weeks ago, when Craig was out of town at a trade show, I was sound asleep upstairs. It was about 1:00 AM when Caleb burst into my room. "Mom! I just saw a Great Horned Owl sitting in the tree in the back yard". He knew some news like that would be worth waking me up. I jump out of bed grab my robe and run down the stairs to look for myself. The owl was long gone as Caleb saw him fly away when he shinned a flashlight at him. Caleb proceeded to tell me how he was laying in bed reading when he heard "Hoot... Hoot, Hoot". After he heard it a few more times he was convinced it was an owl so he went out the back door to look. Sure enough, right there in the back yard sitting in a tree was a Great Horned Owl. I asked Caleb how he knew it was a Great Horned. He said he looked it up online and listened to it's call. He was sure it was a Great Horned. Caleb kept talking about how "huge" it was.
Wouldn't you know it!!! It's been a dream of mine to see a live owl in the wild and who gets to see one... my son!
Now fast forward a bit. A few nights ago Caleb and Craig were out in the garage doing guy stuff. I was upstairs in bed with my laptop blogging. The TV was off and all was quiet. It's about 11:00 PM and all the sudden I hear "Hoot... Hoot, Hoot". At first it didn't dawn on me that it was an owl. In fact, at first I didn't even think it was coming from outside. I turned to look towards the bedroom door thinking the dogs were up to something. Right away I heard it again "Hoot... Hoot Hoot". It was loud! It was right outside my bedroom window and there was NO MISTAKE it was an owl!!!! OMG!!!!! I've never jumped out of bed so fast in my life. I startled Seadra and she started to bark. "Oh Seadra PLEASE be quiet!!!!". Don't scare away this dream of mine!!!! I flipped the light off and opened the window blinds. I couldn't see a thing. All I saw was darkness. The whole time I continue to hear "Hoot.... Hoot, Hoot" over and over only making me more excited.
I gave up on trying to see him out the window. I grabbed my robe and ran downstairs. The whole time the dogs are following me barking like crazy because my behavior is freaking them out. I am so franticly trying to get a glimpse of this bird that I fly out the back door in my bare feet. I am now standing outside in the snow and ice desperately looking for the owl, and he is still hooting!! I have no flashlight so I run into the garage and in my excitement I can barely get out that there's an owl in the backyard and I need a flashlight NOW!!!!
Soon all 3 of us are standing in the backyard with flashlights looking for the owl. Sure enough Craig and Caleb hear him too but at this point his hoots are sounding much fainter. He is now farther back in the woods.
I never did get to see him, but I heard him plain as day and he was right there outside my bedroom window. I know it is mating season for owls and that they lay their eggs in February. I'm sure he was calling to his mate. He's been here twice that we know of. I'm hopeful that he'll come back again someday and maybe I'll see him next time. But for now I'm just happy to have heard him.
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