The children got to see an owl today. A real, live, flapping owl blinking his great big eyes. The presentation on Connecticut wildlife began less dramatically, though, with discussions of the kinds of owls in the area and the threats to owl habitat. Through all of the talk, the children sat relatively quietly, though DD kept wondering when the lady was going to play with the puppets she had brought. She did, eventually, showing the skunks owls eat (they, like all birds but vultures, have no sense of smell), the way their heads work (or don't--they can't go all the way around), and where their amazing ears are (on the sides of their face plates, not those tuffs on their heads). She even showed real owl claws, real feathers (which are quiet in flight), and--yippee!--owl vomit (the bones, fur, etc., that they don't digest and thus regurgitate). She also had a handy gadget with several owl call recordings, which the kids enjoyed mimicking.
And then, the Barred Owl made his appearance. He was nervous and flapped wildly, which pitched him sideways. Because he only has one wing. DD and DS were amazed and also sympathetic. DD kept asking if he were going to fly away and I told her that he couldn't because of his injuries. She kept saying that he would like to fly away but he couldn't because he was a one-winged owl. "He's looking at me," she said. And sure enough, those big eyes were looking our way. She considered getting closer to see him but decided against it. But couldn't stop staring at him. Neither could DS. They liked how the owl stared and turned his head, and particularly how he puffed out his feathers to look bigger.
Then it was time for the owl to go back in his cage--"just like our kitties," DD noted--and so we said goodbye to the beautiful Barred Owl.
Maybe we'll see him again, though. The Nature Center would be a great place for a birthday party.
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