Some years ago--birders will remember--a lack of food in Alaska for Great Gray Owls forced the young males to fly further south in search of food. A number flew as far south as the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River to the delight of many. This occurred in the winter while we were cross-country skiing.
We had traveled around three or four miles, and as I came over a rise and down a small hill, there before me, on a young tree, sat a Great Gray Owl. We were both stunned. He recovered before I, lifting off the tree in a slow, graceful movement, to fly to a nearby wood. I had never seen such a magnificent bird before. One of the largest owls in the world, its wing span is five feet. Also a harrier, it feeds during the day. Some of the birds were seen in other places around the area, until they presumably went north again. A number of sightings were made to the local agricultural college. You may learn more about this bird at "Great Gray Owl".[Online]. Natural History Notebooks. Canadian Museum of Nature. http://nature.ca/notebooks/english/greatgrayowl.htm
I would not have had this memorable experience if all-terrain vehicles were as rife as they are today. I often think that some people go from A to C without seeing B. How conscious are we of what is in our natural world, or is it all cars and sidewalks? Although I am privileged to live in the country, even in the city, as long as there are trees, birds live and thrive, some in protected areas with special walks set aside. Take a pair of field glasses, and go on one ot these walks. Look down as well as up and around you. You will be surprised at how wonderful God has made our world.
Can we protect it? Can you?
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