“The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders at our quaint spirits” by William Shakespeare
All across time, people have been enthralled by owls. I’m no different, it seems. The screech owls I hear in the silky quiet of night produce an enchanting sound. Listen here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Screech-Owl/sounds
Cornell Lab’s All About Birds explains that I am hearing the screech owl’s call and reply from across the yard, so the pair can stay in contact. First, the male owl vocalizes for courtship purposes as he calls from a tree, and next, the female creates a duet by interspersing her call with the male’s. Enchanting!
Along with the trills and resonance of a quick series of little calls, screech owls can deliver a snapping sound when they click their bill at the approach of a potential predator. Males also click their bill during courtship when they politely bow and bring food to the female. Although I have witnessed California quails mating, I have never witnessed the private lives of screech owls. One night, I arrived home after dark and spied the sweet little pipsqueak of a screech owl standing in the driveway. What a beautiful creature! This diminutive, 7- to 10-inch-long, gray-brown bird is such a treat to behold.
Screech owls aren’t the only owl species found in Lake County. The McLaughlin Reserve’s bird species list explains that there are many more types of owls found in Lake County, such as barn owls, great horned owls, northern pygmy owls, burrowing owls, long-eared owls, short-eared owls, and northern saw-whet owls.
Western screech owls nest in woodpecker holes and other openings in trees that are from 5 to 35 feet above the ground. The female usually lay 2-5 white eggs, incubating them for approximately 26 days. Then, the male hunts and delivers food to his mate. The parents of this species work together to feed their young when they forage at day’s end and at night. They swoop swiftly and quietly to catch flying insects by both sight and sound. The adult diet consists of large insects like moths and beetles, small critters such as mice, lizards, frogs, spiders, and scorpions.
Jennifer Ackerman, in her New York Times Notable Book, What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds, explains that the difficulty of studying or viewing owls in the wild is due to many of the reasons we enjoy them. Some reasons are because of their secretive natures, and that they are so quiet and elusive. Ackerman says they are ‘masters of camouflage’ since their plumage is mottled and speckled, blending in to befuddle our eyes. That’s their M.O., to look like the land in which they live in order to avoid detection by predators. This strategy, to melt into the surroundings, is known as crypsis. Other helpful owl aids include their exceptional sense of hearing, as well as excellent vision.
Owls and their symbols have captivated interest and imagination over time, across many cultures. In Mesoamerican cultures, or those historical and cultural regions comprising modern-day central and southern Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and more, owls have been featured in murals, paintings, vases, and other ceramics. Some cultures consider owls as powerful spiritual messengers.
In the world of ancient Greek mythology, the Owl of Athena has been featured as a symbol of acumen, information, and wisdom since 500 BC. Today, because of the symbol, you can be recognized as being ‘wise as an owl’. Since hearing and seeing this diminutive and distinctive creature, I have altered the way I settle in for the evening, keeping an eye and an ear out for the sight or sound of the mostly unseen creatures of wonder that usually escape my senses even when close at hand.
