[va-bird] great horned owl...

For weeks/months now, we've known that a Great Horned Owl has been hooting in 
the woods behind our townhouses.  Our neighbor reconfirmed the hoots about 2 
weeks ago, and since then, we've heard him every other night or so.  

My boyfriend, who really can only get excited about owls or hummingbirds 
(the "neat" birds) had headed off to sleep around 11:45pm last night, as I 
finished up some bills.  5 min. later he says "come here!!!"  From the bedroom 
window, the hoots are close like they normally are at night.  I said "I'm going 
out to look for it - you with me!?"  My first attempt at finding it at 6am 
three days ago ended with nothing.  But this time I was determined to see it.  
Begrudgingly, he came along.

As I gathered my scope and binoculars, the bird clock's great horned owl hooted 
midnight, in a strange ridiculing way.

Walking out the front door and roudning the back of the set of townhomes, 
somehow all I had to do was look up and it stood out like a sore thumb - the 
owl was sitting at the VERY top of a large tree just where we suspected the 
hooting was coming from.

We re-arranged ourselves in a closer, better place and watched it for a good 10 
minutes hooting into the darkness.  After the pure excitement wore off, we 
started happily "arguing" about who would stay out longer to watch it.  And, a 
minute later, we look up, and it had flown away!  So, we missed it flying - 
that's a good lesson about arguing: don't do it!  :)

In any case, it was my first Great Horned Owl sighting, and only my 2nd type of 
owl on my life list.  :)

-Renee Grebe
 Alexandria, VA
 
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