Do you remember in the Secret of Nimh when Mrs. Brisby had to visit the great owl? The owl’s eyes were lit up as if they were on fire. He appeared on screen, as a massive bone crunching creature. I was talking to my friend the other day on the phone.
“I’m afraid of owls,” she reluctantly admitted.
Over the course of the discussion, we determined that the repeated watching of the Secret of Nimh as kids had created in us a fear of owls.
As of late, I’ve been hearing a Great Horned Owl in my neighborhood. His visits seem to be once a week. Of course, he is probably hunting for rabbits. I am surrounded by edge habitat which rabbits prefer.
I find him to be enchanting.
One night, I heard a Northern Mockingbird announce his arrival. The alarm call sounded sharp, metallic and shattered the silence. I climbed out of bed, put on my house shoes and glasses. Suddenly, I could hear the owl. His low pitched ho-ho-hoo-hoo was coming from the building across from me. It was about 1 am. The street light made my polar bear Christmas pajamas visible, but luckily there wasn’t a human around. As I got closer, I saw him. He was perched on the chimney, which was low enough to make his face and ear tufts visible. His body was smaller than I remember from the Secret of Nimh. He watched me. I reciprocated. The staring contest lasted for about 5 minutes, then he flew off.
According to David Sibley’s The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, “The acuity of avian eyesight is unparalleled among vertebrates.” Try saying that sentence three times in quick succession. It’s difficult.
I learned over Christmas, to not talk about owls around my nephew. After mentioning the visits from the owl, he refused to go outside at night. He was afraid. DOH!
In conclusion, I really like the Great Horned Owl. I think he is magnificent.
