21 February, 2021 These keep getting shorter and shorter!

I will be uncharacteristically brief. If I hadn’t had the always-wonderful experience of seeing an owl yesterday, I might have skipped this week. So an owl and a couple other items. 

Some of the recent ice storms had damaged the branch the owls normally favor. I was afraid they’d moved. I visited twice this week and no owls either time. I cannot recall the last time I visited on two consecutive days and saw zero owls. I was relieved yesterday when Mackey and Turner and I walked under the branch at 10:45 and saw this: 

Just after we walked away it began hooting at its partner, who responded immediately – from very close by. We walked back to have another look but this is the only one we saw.

This picture (below) was right when we arrived, about fifteen or twenty minute before we got to the owl. I like this spot because it’s open and the light is good. But it’s right at the very beginning; Mackey and Turner don’t like to stop moving just a moment after we get out of the car. They shed their hangdog demeanor as soon as we start hiking: 

A pair or Red-tailed hawks have been perching on a Dominion power line tower near me regularly. I don’t know where their nest is but I suspect it will have eggs on it soon. I saw this pair (presumably) on this tower (definitely) on Thursday at 12:30. The sky was dreary and gray and in every way February-like. I drove past the same tower again yesterday at 12:30. Their backs were to the sun so the color is not lovely but they are a lovely pair of birds. Patterson Avenue is right behind them; you can see the west wind blowing their feathers from right to left: 

I’ve reviewed some previous years blog posts to see what’s happening in late February, early March. I’m surprised I’ve posted so few flower pictures recently. I expect they’ll be in the blog soon. 

Have a great week! 

All best, 

Jay