Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 9:16 am, sunset 6:09 pm for a total day length of 8 hours and 52 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 14 seconds shorter.
Another spectacular, sunny, fall day with temps from an overnight low of 34º to a comfortable high of 42º. No wind made it seem even warmer. What a gift!
Yesterday around noon, I received a report of a GREAT HORNED OWL at the SMIC sewage lagoon on the east side of the bay. I happened to be nearby and soon spotted the Owl, standing quietly at the base of the fence, on the inside. It was alert but did not move as I slowly approached. The wings were held normally but the breast feathers were mussed. Apparently, it hit the fence in the dark, perhaps while chasing its prey, and crashed hard enough to need lots of time to heal.
What phenomenal yellow eyes!! When the Owl blinked, thick, feathered eyelids closed from the top down like insulated blinds. The transparent third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, closed up diagonally. Specialized bristles surrounded the beak and eyes. Layers and layers of different feathers cloaked this magnificent bird of prey; even the ear tufts were incredible.
After a short time, I contacted the Alaska Sealife Center and hoped for a recovery or rescue. Fortunately, the temps were above freezing last night as the ASLC was unable to respond, and the fence provided protection from ground predators. Today, when I checked around noon, the Owl was gone, leaving no trace.
If you see a spooky silhouette of an Owl in the moonlight on Halloween, maybe it’s this one, once again flying free.
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
No comments:
Post a Comment