200% Owl

Twilight road
Owl Stump Bend.

About a mile from my house, there's a picturesque bend in the road with a three-foot-high tree stump that always reminds me of a giant owl. A very giant owl.

I was approaching this bend on my way home this evening, when a tawny owl [Strix aluco] flew in front of my car and landed on top of the public footpath sign at the side of the road. I slammed on my brakes and watched the bird in the car's headlights. It looked back at me for about 20 seconds, then flew up into the branches of a tree on the other side of the road.

I moved the car a bit closer and watched some more. Suddenly, a second tawny owl flew out of the darkness and attacked the first. After a brief altercation, the first owl flew off, and the second took its place on the branch.

Nowadays, owls are literally fighting each other to get a mention on Gruts.

See also:

Richard Carter

A fat, bearded chap with a Charles Darwin fixation.

One comment

  1. I am the only owl in this village. Don't you ever forget that!

    (Back on nites as from March 8th.)

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