Yesterday we spotted one owl expired, on the ground. I was so sad. Graham took it well, and Al (whom the kids call Dad-e-o) said we'd better check with Auntie Jenn to see if we could remove it without disturbing the rest of the owl family. She said we could and that would be the more sanitary thing to do.
The good news is this: it wasn't one of the four we've been watching. It must have been a third baby who didn't make it. Was it sick? Diseased? Fell out of the tree? Killed by a food-chain competitor? We don't know. We saw no signs of foul play -- no feathers plucked out, no marks on the body.
Graham said it's name is Dead-e-o.
Last night I watched the parents swooping home, regurgitating nutrition into the two young owls as the sky grew dark and was backlit by lightening. Today it is stormy and I cannot locate any of our owls. Perhaps they are hunkered down somewhere.
3 comments:
Firstly, Nice new template! I was meaning to hound you to update with your new family member and all. I mean, I know you have nothing better to do than blog blog bloggity blog all day, right?
Second, I am so sorry for the owly loss but relieved it was not one of the parents. As for the babies, strength in numbers, I guess.
Bummer on the owl loss.
We had a nest of killdeer in our tomato patch this year -- they were watched OBSESSIVELY by all of us, and we were all terrified that my barn cat would swoop in for the kill. Luckily we got to watch them hatch and watch the parents shepherd them out of the garden and into safer ground... So fun!
Josie
Graham is so witty!
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