Last night something exciting happened – I added a Great Horned Owl to my life list. Best of all, it was right behind our house!!!
Joe and I were upstairs shortly before 9 pm getting ready for bed when we both heard what sounded like hooting. We rushed to the bedroom, opened the window, and sure enough, it was two owls calling to each other, and they sounded very close.
I ran downstairs, threw on my coat, hat, and new hiking boots, grabbed my phone, and flew out back to see if I could locate them.
I pinpointed their location to a particular pine tree, but the flashlight on my phone wasn’t cutting it, so I couldn’t actually see them. I rushed back to the house where Joe was waiting with a bright flashlight. I was able to use it to find one of the owls who was way at the top of the tree looking around.
I could only get a crappy phone video of it. This is a still from that.
It stopped calling once I spotted it, so unfortunately by the time Joe was able to come outside to hold the flashlight for me, it was gone. I had wanted to see if I could get a photo of it but it wasn’t meant to be. I never actually saw the second owl, but it sounded like it was in the same tree somewhere.
We had planned to go to bed early but I was so hyped up afterwards that I didn’t feel sleepy until midnight. Totally worth it, though! I hope they come back soon! I have heard Great Horned owls behind the house before, usually in the winter. Maybe I’ll get lucky and see one during the daytime so I can photograph it.