owls

Owls are ephemeral. Wizards of the night. Watchful. Be glad you are not a mouse. Sometimes you may hear one, but seldom see it. Haunting hoots from high, hilly places. That's an owl.  

I have been extremely lucky over the past two decades to have worked with several injured and non-releasable owls. The first time I walked around outside with an owl on a glove at the nature center was 4 July 1998. You do not forget such happenings, so the title of this photo album could easily be "The owls I have known" and that one in Cades Cove. 

Searching for a short-eared owl in January 2015 with Rachael Eliot.

Rachael Eliot on her birthday, 11 January 2015, hoping to add a short-eared owl 
to her life list on Hyatt Lane in Cades Cove. 

It was late on the cold, clear day, the sun would be setting soon, long shadows stretched towards the east. 

And since I do not have a photo of that owl, here are 
some other remembrance photos.

Sugar, an albino or leucistic barred owl under the care of animal rehabber Lynne McCoy. 

Paparazzi swarmed the "Sugar" on Lynne McCoy's arm.  

Owl-ology class at Ijams, January 2016

The first owl I ever worked with, a red-phase eastern screech-owl, 1998

Same screech-owl as above

Gray phase eastern screech-owl

Barred owl with a very damaged wing. Ijams cared for her for years.  

Same barred owl as above

Elderly great horned owl Ijams cared for for years.

Same great horned owl as above