All About Owls

Many people have taken up new hobbies in the last few months: puzzles, embroidery, home remodeling. My pandemic hobby? Owls.

Toward the end of March, a neighbor mentioned that owls had been seen in our area. I’d seen hawks around – including one that swooped over me on a midday walk – but never an owl. On the afternoon of April 17, I looked up from my computer into the eyes of a large barred owl, perched on one of the lower branches of our neighbor’s oak tree. I assumed this was a rare sighting, but since then, I’ve seen an owl almost every day! Sometimes two, because as we discovered about a month later, we have a pair! They like our yard and have become a part of our lives.

Unlike most birds, the slightly larger one with more show-offy plumage is the female. We’re calling them Owlbert Einstein and Owlette (that one is for my PJ Masks-obsessed niece). I’m not an expert at telling them apart, but I’m pretty sure we see Owlbert most of the time.

Owls like to rest in densely forested areas during the day – ours are regulars in the grove of trees at the back of our next-door neighbor’s yard. In the evening, they swoop majestically over our other neighbor’s yard, which is wide open and a popular hangout for small animals. We hear their loud, distinctive hoots even on days we don’t see them.

My favorite encounter so far was a day both owls rested in the grove of trees while I gardened. They inched closer together throughout the afternoon and eventually started grooming each other! I (quietly) called to Taylor to come see, and when he did, they turned their heads around to look at him, putting their tails together and forming a heart shape like a Valentine cartoon. IT WAS AMAZING. (Sadly, I didn’t get a picture because my hands were covered in dirt.)

We put up a new fence in May, which quickly became a popular owl hunting perch. They’ve started spending more time in our magnolia tree and one of our big oaks (especially when it rains). Last week, I even saw Owlbert on the ground! It was the first time I’d seen an owl “walk.” He moves like a chicken.

I’ve been reading and learning all I can about the owls and their behavior. Reportedly they don’t migrate and don’t venture many miles from their home, so I think we can look forward to them being around for a long time! But while I feel a bond with them, I also maintain a healthy respect for them. Several people have warned me that they can get aggressive, which I already know thanks to the High Point Owl‘s reign of terror in 2013. (#NeverForget) Last week Owlbert appeared to be flying at Taylor sitting under our backyard gazebo, but I think he might have been looking for a good place to shelter from the rain. I’m on guard, though. As tempting as it is to try to get closer to get better pictures, I give them plenty of space, and have left in a hurry the few times they’ve head-bobbed at me.

I’ve also looked up the symbolism of owls in different cultures and traditions. Although many consider them a symbol of death (kind of appropriate for our times), it’s often as a helper in a circle-of-life context. Other cultures see them as representatives of wisdom, knowledge, clarity, fearlessness, victory in battle, or even fertility, all of which I welcome! But whether it “means” anything or not, I consider the owls’ presence a gift. Seeing them is one of the highlights of my day.