Northern Pygmy-owl

Saturday, 24 January 2015, was a great day for seeing the tiny, popcan-sized Northern Pygmy-owl in Fish Creek Park. For once, I was up really early so that I could go on a birding walk, which was being held at the same location. Other than the usual Black-capped Chickadee. Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers, the two main species that we saw were the Pileated Woodpecker (a male and a female together) and a very distant Cooper's Hawk. When we were at the furthest spot, we got news that the Northern Pygmy-owl had appeared back at our starting point. Needless to say, we were happy to see it that day.

Some time after getting back to where the owl was and seeing it on several different branches that were not particularly easy to photograph, it suddenly flew down to the mass and tangle of bushes right where all the photographers were now standing. A few people knelt or lay down in the cold, melting snow so that they could get a better view through the thin branches. There was no way I could do that, so my view was not as good. As far as actually seeing the owl at such close quarters was concerned, it was a great chance, and was not a case of people getting too close, but that the owl flew to where they were standing. It was amazing to see this tiny bird of prey up close, and it was really good to see how at ease it seemed. No sign of stress at all. It even caught a Meadow Vole and then flew up to a nearby, thin, forked branch, where it posed beautifully along with its catch and then began to eat the Vole's brains.

Soon, it was time to go home, especially as I had originally arrived at the park for the 3-hour bird walk earlier! Some people spend hours in the park and I don't know how they are able to do so. It requires so much patience, and I'd never be able to do it, even for the much shorter time that I'm there, if it weren't for friends to chat with while waiting. Two hours in the park, maybe three, is usually my maximum - and it's definitely not good for the back and knees! Normally, I just don't get down to the park, anyway, especially the last two years or more, but this tiny owl has been an attraction for people from all over the city and from other cities and provinces. Haven't been there other than for one very brief walk, in maybe two and a half or three weeks. I suspect that the owls left some time ago, to go to higher elevations in the mountains.

I also credit this beautiful little owl (and its mate) for helping me get through the weeks after my oldest daughter died. Without this, I would most likely have stayed home all the time, which would not have been good for me at all.