Yellow, glassy eyes

Just over two weeks ago, on 15 April 2015, my parking lot was going to be spring-cleaned, which meant that all cars had to be out of the lot by 7:30 am. I don't have a 2015 street parking permit, so I had to leave home at 7:30 and find something that would use up the few hours before my volunteer shift. I didn't want to risk being late for that, so decided to stay within the city rather than go driving some backroads.

The owls in Fish Creek Park ended up being my destination. I had only been there twice in many weeks, seeing Mom on my first visit and then Mom with two of her three owlets on the second. When I arrived early morning on 15 April, there was no sign of the "paparazzi" - I had been expecting there to be at least a few photographers and people out for a walk. Maybe the 10-minute viewing limit has had some effect : ) This time, I was able to see all three owlets as well as Mom and Dad. Can't remember which owlet this one was, but it was just the cutest bundle of fluff. Late afternoon, after my volunteer shift, I called in again for a short while on my way home. It has been five days since I last called in, so I'm sure there have been changes.

"With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics.

Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl