Cloaked in feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all.

-Emily Dickinson

Every summer cardinals nest in our backyard and when I am working on a project or merely step outside, the cardinals will dive-bomb me so closely that I can hear and feel the wind in their wings.

Owls tend to have more feathers than other birds. A team of researchers and volunteers once took over forty-six hours to count 12,230 feathers from a deceased Great Horned Owl. Before that, no one knew.

Some say owls have soundless flight, but it is technically nearly soundless and it won’t register to human ears anyway. There is a debate that owls evolved this way either so their prey won’t hear them approaching or so the owls can hear their prey instead of their flight. (Why can’t it be both?)

When observing this owl family I have a reoccurring day dream, fantasy, nightmare that dad or mom owl will drop out of the tree, swoop, and come for me. But it does appear they are fairly acclimated to people. After all, the owl-paparazzi was ready and waiting for them before they cracked their shells to hatch. But that doesn’t stop me from keeping in mind they are wild.

Speaking of feathers, it should go without saying (but I’ll say it just in case) that it is illegal to possess an owl (eagle, songbird, hawk, etc.) feather. If you come across one, remember to leave it as you found it and take a photo instead.

Speaking of photos of feathers, one of my favorite things to capture is the wind in their feathers with Sarah’s camera.

What a delight!