Two Little Owls

Part 1

Note: This part of the post was first published on my Facebook photography page, with Part 2 on my personal page. I decided to combine both parts of the story here for continuity.

If you haven’t been to Bluebonnet Swamp for a while, prepare yourselves for quite a shock, as a number of large areas have been cleared. I was in such dismay when I first got there to see that the former home of the screech owls was no longer there that I had tears in my eyes as I made my way to check in at the office.

I moped my way around some of the open parts of the trail and had a nice commiseration with swamp champions and frequent visitors Jeff and Carol and their companions, then headed out.

Before I left, I heard a wren fussing mightily and ventured over to see what the commotion was all about. I didn’t see anything at first, and then I spotted a screech owl well camouflaged back in the trees! I tried my best to get a clear shot, but it was quite obscured. I watched for a while, and then I suddenly realized there was a second owl hidden in the same tree! What a treat, and I’m so happy to know they are still around. That certainly lifted my spirits!

Part 2

This is not a poor me, pity party post, so please don’t take it that way. But I want to tell you the rest of the story — and if you’ve already read Part 1 above, you know it has an uplifting ending — but for you to know how it got there, you have to know this part, too.

May has become probably my least favorite month of the year (despite the fact that my sweet hubby’s birthday occurs this month). For many teachers, including me, the end of the semester and academic year, while it brings relief from the grind of grading papers and the endless meetings and emails, there’s also a kind of sadness that settles in. I’ve also experienced this feeling at the end of other endeavors, like finishing my doctorate or the end of a marathon or ultra, when the race is done and the long training season is finished, and there’s a kind of finality.

For me, this feeling is compounded by another kind of loss. The anniversary of my stepmom’s death is May 10, followed by my dad’s tomorrow, on May 15. And there’s nothing like a national holiday, Mother’s Day, to remind you that you no longer have one.

All of that to say that I have been kind of glum this week, and while I’m not a crier, generally, I’ve found myself near tears on multiple occasions. Today I decided to try to pull myself out of my funk and go see if I could find some birds. Being outside always provides me with a reset and sense of calm. Specifically, I decided to go to Bluebonnet Swamp to see if I could find a barred owl, “Barbara,” who lives there. I’ve heard her (and a mate?) on multiple visits, and sometimes I’ve even caught a glimpse of her in flight, but I’ve never gotten a photo or really a good look.

Off to the swamp I went. Despite the carnage to the forest I describe in Part 1, I was still hopeful I would see the owl. If you’ve read this post you’ll know my take on birds as totems, and I’ve written before about how a barred owl brought me such comfort a few days after my dad died. I thought maybe seeing one today would help with what I was feeling. Please let me see the owl, was going through my head. It would bring me such comfort this week.

Signs were good. First, I found a fresh barred owl feather on the boardwalk. I ran into another birder who had seen an owl as soon as she got onto the trail. And Jeff and Carol, whom I mention in Part 1 of this story, had seen her recently – not today, but she had been close enough that Jeff was able to get a very clear photo of her with his phone. Please let me see the owl, I thought. Evidently I’d forgotten that as birding goes, sometimes the more you want to see a particular bird, the less likely you are to find it!

This was one of those times, and my good spirits and hope headed south, leaving me with a sudden urge to exit the swamp immediately. I had to get out of there. And then, there was not just one owl, but two, not a barred owl, but another very special surprise sighting! I’m still sad, about all the things I described above – the destruction I saw, the end of the semester, my parents, all of it – but also filled with gratitude for beauty and nature, and two little screech owls that brought me some joy today.