Heidi

we met at the Wild Bird Center and drove out to Antelope Island.
Katie and I. KATIE...my natural born night owl, who can't get up
before noon. RIIIIIGHT. And she was even up late last night, but
still somehow managed to get up when I stirred her at 9:00 am. We
were on the road by 9:30, met the group by 10, and were peering at
water birds through scopes, looking at bison on the hillsides, and
some antelope bounding through the tall yellow grasses in the
distance.

In the interior of the island there is an old farm. It seems to be
the destination for scout troops and field trips, etc. It was our
ending point today, and while there we saw the nest where a barn owl
resides. Didn't see him, but we did pick up owl pellets off the
floor. No one else seemed so interested in mine, which has the teeth
and looks like ribs of, a vole most likely. It's in a ziploc on the
table, waiting for someone to get interested enough to pick it apart.
Or not.

We walked around the farm a bit, while our guide pointed out a tree
full of pine siskins and goldfinches, which made both Katie and me
remember the thistle seed feeder we had on the back deck in Idaho,
that the siskins and goldfinches loved so much. The chickens also had
us longing for our country place a bit. But the friendliness of the
people around us more than made up for the friends we left behind.

The group went down towards the marsh on the edge of the farm, where
one experienced member of the group spotted an OWL! It was a male
long eared owl, and he had gone into "camouflage" mode, :pulling
himself up very tall and narrow, and holding extremely still. Usually
an eared owl will set itself flush against the tree trunk and REALLY
go invisible, but this guy was out from the trunk a foot or so, and
he was amazing. That is the first owl I've ever seen, though I've
heard many. His eyes were round and yellow with big black pupils, and
his feathers, through the viewing scope, looked so soft. Just Amazing!

After lunch, we went to the library, where Katie picked up a Star
Wars DVD about Episode III and many books on tape. We listened
to "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" in the van on the way home. I
picked up a half dozen books on Feng Shui.

while us girls had been out "amateur naturalist-ing" the men of the
family, and the Young Woman, had spent a lazy day watching TV and
lounging in a nest of sleeping bags and blankets, or the couch, or
the easy chairs.

right now, the two younger kids are digging a hole in the side yard,
and sifting dirt and rocks through my yellow one-handed noodle
strainer, oldest daughter is at the theatre being a Servant Girl
Extra, and hubby is watching something on TV.

I want to see what the little diggers have unearthed.

bye!

Heidi who saw an OWL today!

kayb85

> In the interior of the island there is an old farm. It seems to be
> the destination for scout troops and field trips, etc. It was our
> ending point today, and while there we saw the nest where a barn
owl
> resides. Didn't see him, but we did pick up owl pellets off the
> floor. No one else seemed so interested in mine, which has the
teeth
> and looks like ribs of, a vole most likely. It's in a ziploc on the
> table, waiting for someone to get interested enough to pick it
apart.
> Or not.

What a cool day!

If you need a chart to help you figure out what the bones might be,
you can get one here:
http://www.tobinslab.com/ProductPage.asp?CategoryID=16000

You can buy extra owl pellets there too.

Sheila

Heidi

Wonderful! Thanks, Sheila

HeidiC

It's in a ziploc on the
> > table, waiting for someone to get interested enough to pick it
> apart.
> > Or not.
>
> What a cool day!
>
> If you need a chart to help you figure out what the bones might be,
> you can get one here:
> http://www.tobinslab.com/ProductPage.asp?CategoryID=16000
>
> You can buy extra owl pellets there too.
>
> Sheila