Just Sitting

Papa saw him first. Just sitting there, up in the pine tree, all fluffed out. 'What in..what is that? Quick! Oh, no, he's g..no there he is! Quickly. Come and see. Do you see him? Go and get the camera. What is that?' Well, we now have another beautiful bird to add to the growing number on the list. This time a Great Barred Owl came and sat on the pine tree right outside our window for the whole afternoon. He just sat there. At least that's what we thought he was doing. Actually, I think he was biding his time, just waiting for one of those pesky red squirrels to take a trip to the peanut pile by our kitchen window. The storm was just blowing in, so he had fluffed himself up like a huge pillow. He's probably about 20" long, enormous. What a treat for us to be able to study him at such close quarters, without him becoming spooked. 63 years ago, my sister, Gay, had complained to my mother, 'Wigga-Woo come a me nex!' Looking at this majestic creature, I can see why she would have been daunted by the prospect of being carried off to the top of the beech tree, to be shared equally among the fluffy nestlings...!