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:
I am the only owl in this village. Don't you ever forget that!
(Back on nites as from March 8th.)