The Screech Owl Sang Soprano

Owl:  It was the year my Aunt Clara went to visit her cousin. Now, her cousin was not only gifted on the glockenspiel, but being a screech owl, also sang soprano in the London Opera. ~ From Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day 

Screech Owl from earlier in the year (Photo by D. Cowen)

We had just gotten home from the morning walk when I saw something fly into a tree about halfway down the block. After hustling Zelda into the house with her "treat" for being such a good girl, I headed down the street and found the Screech Owl call on the Cornell site.* I played it to see if whatever bird it was would react.

Nothing. No call. No movement. I played it again.**

Nothing.

So I started back home and in the distance I heard it. An Eastern Screech Owl was calling. It called and called - it's near enough to hear, but just. I don't think it was the bird I saw, but I don't care.

Detail of the photo above. They are small little guys - and a little weird looking. I suppose they think the same of me.

NOTES:

*https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/sounds
Lots of birders use this call to rile up surrounding birds.

**Visualize a crazy old lady standing out in the street with her cellphone held overhead and and the audio trilling the call. It's not the first time I've done this and it won't be the last.

FINAL NOTE: When we were thinking about buying this house almost 30 years ago, DH and I walked around the neighborhood looking at the houses and listening to the birds singing (it was in the spring). We were won. The neighborhood has changed a great deal, but the birds are still here.