Calling Owls - Screech On Video

In the continuing adventures of calling owls, I took a break Sunday evening around 8PM and stepped outside to enjoy the growing darkness. I decide to do the whinny and tremolo call of a screech owl, to see what would happen. Within a minute, three screech owls were calling and one was bopping from tree to tree above the driveway. I decided to try the video camera out on the owl, switching to night vision mode. The results, however rough, are for all to see. I heard a screech owl last night also above the buzzing sound of a neighbor's chain saw. Tonight, I'm inside as the temperatures drop into the fifties and I work on assignments for class.

Stars and Owls

A warm day in the 80s with blue skies gave way to a quickly cooling night with dark skies that brought out the stars in abundance. The Milky Way was a white smudge across the sky from the south to the north. Cygnus the Swan, the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, and the Pleiades were easily seen. While walking and watching, I heard a screech owl. I called back and after a few minutes, I had him on a branch not more than 10 feet away. It was dark, so only the silhouette was visible. While not time for a meteor shower, three white streaks from shooting stars crossed the sky over a twenty minute period. It was quite wonderful. After the screech owl left and was gone for 20 minutes or so, a great horned owl began hooting about fifty yards away. I returned home to work with some fond memories of owls and shooting stars. A night to remember for years to come, I'm sure.