I interrupt today's regularly scheduled post for this emergency post about nocturnal additions. The biggest owl surprise of all.
On Monday morning, Canada Day, I looked out my kitchen window directly, alarmingly, into the eyes of something you should never look right in the eyes; a Beanie Baby.
And there we stood, frozen. I on one side of the window glass, they on the other. Stunned owl, meet stunned Karen.
We're probably all thinking the same thing - that a Baby Owl is obviously going to be named Bowel, but I'm not naming this one anything. At least not yet.
This is an excitement post not an excellence post. Bad photos, 1 good video, a bad video and some less-than top shelf quality photos. But a bad video of an owlet is more entertaining than a good photo of a colonoscopy. That was a Bowel joke.
Oh god, no, I cannot name this little puffball Bowel. Yet there it is - in my head as its name.
There was one point I was worried the baby, which was not very baby-sized, probably on par with a second season Full House Olsen twin, was assessing whether my nose was a mouse.
It occurred when I took a quick video from the backyard.
I mean honestly. Just watch it looking up at the parent as if to ask I don't know what to think. If you ask me anything it looks like a mouse.
I assume his (her?) parent brought him (her?) to my backyard after a long discussion about how the woman, the dog and the electric wood splitter are nothing to lose any feathers over.
I'm back on owl watch which means I'm going to need a couple of hours to build my own nest outside. I'll need snacks, comfy pillows, a couple of cameras, blankets and a helmet. All your basic summertime gear.
Midway through the day the baby disappeared. I have no idea if it made its way into the bottom of the owl box or had run away from home for a few hours.
By 9:00 p.m. the baby was back and the parent was gone. Baby owl spent the next 15 minutes hopping from branches to the owl box, figuring out how to turn around and keep its wings from getting trapped in the box.
It hopped from branch to branch, to another tree in my yard to the roof of my potting shed. All its movements are just a little bit shy of elegant.
Based on my calculations using the age Eastern Screech owls learn to fly divided by the cost of a Beanie Baby I'd say this owlet is probably somewhere around 9-10 weeks old.
Since that night I haven't seen the baby again, but the parent, who may or may not be Mr. Snacks has been here every day. The red owl disappeared the day after I posted about their reappearance (as is often the case when I post about owls so don't expect to ever see Bowel again).
I'll keep you updated from my nest.
Congratulations Gramma!
So cool !
Adorable:)
I knew Canadians did things better ;). Pure Joy!
Wonderful and exciting!! 🦉
This so exciting!
Good things come to those who wait! Never truer than on your Canada Day, Karen. I'm so happy for you! And for the rest of us who are looking over your shoulder, so to speak. Bowel is the sweetest little creature. So adorably perturbed looking! :D Parent appears to be just like human parents: happy to have a little rest while they can. Thanks for sharing this exciting event.
Amazing shots, Karen! I love the name Bowel! You at too funny! No you’re not - you’re just the right amount of funny. 😉😂❤️
This is JUST what I needed this morning! Well, any morning would be do really. So frickin' happy for you!
I think Bowlie (Mary Engelbright - Life is just a chair of bowlies 🥣🍒) would be suitable for a name. Or Bowie ( as in David), Blowie (Hootie and the Blowfish?) I'm just playing with words now....
Thank you for posting this! So fascinating. We rarely get to see owls in my part of the world.
oh my god. that is the cutest thing ever! should we send knitted booties for little Bowel?
I can't imagine waking up to any news more welcome. That face! That innocence! That astonished look! That complete lack of grace in those jerky, comic movements. Such a hopeful sight. I can only imagine your excitement to get to (hopefully) watch this little owlet develop! Thanks for inviting us to the baby shower. Maybe I'll make a little pellet bib for you!
Oh my gosh! What an exciting development. Thanks for posting all those photos and the videos.
That's awesome!!! You are one lucky person to have owls nesting in your backyard! Thanks for sharing!
That is SO cool Karen. I too think you’ve reclaimed the word Bowel and given it a new meaning!
Thanks for the good morning news!
This is so exciting! Over the years, we've had cardinals, robins, doves, chickadees raising families around ours front porch & backyard, and I never get tired of watching them. Now, an owl baby, that's special!
So fricken CUTE! So happy for you Aunt Karen. :)
Very cool! Great quality pictures and the first video is great. The second video is fun to watch, but a little grainy. Thanks for sharing. We used to have screech owls in our woods. Maybe if I hang a nest box they'll come back.
On another subject, you mentioned an electric wood splitter. Please post more about it, or if you already did and I missed it, send me the link. Thanks, keep up the entertaining posts.
You must be all kerfuffled, it’s such a marvellous surprise. And anything to take our minds off the mess of world politics, amirite! More Bowel please. And, if not, more Philip. How did he take your switch of attention from him to Baby Snacks?
Love, love, love this post!!! Am I the only one who thinks Bowel is the perfect name? For me, you’ve managed to reclaim a word that sometimes has somewhat unpleasant connotations so that now I will always associate it with this adorable bundle of feathers. Call him (her?) Albert or Gwendolyn if you like, but his (her) original and true name will always be Bowel. Thanks for providing this morning’s delight!