Ashlyn

I greatly enjoyed this course!  It was so much fun learning all about owls.  I think my most memorable moments with these lessons included learning about the different species of owls.  I had no idea there was so much variety in this bird family!  Studying the marvelous designs of the individual owls was fascinating. Of course, I was also glad to study owl sounds and to learn new techniques for finding owls, engaging with them, and helping them continue their role as valuable predators in the ecosystems they inhabit.

Owls perform all the same activities as other birds (raising young, finding food, and claiming territories, to name a few).  However, their ways of doing so are tailored to their specific niche--nocturnal predation. I see many similarities between owls' lives and those of other birds of prey.  They catch live food, engage in strenuous hours of hunting, and teach their young to hunt as well.  Also, they share many of the same structural design features (talons, strong beak, and powerful wings). However, an obvious difference between owls and these other birds is their nocturnal nature.  Owls are specially designed to live in the dark, and they do so excellently!

I frequently hear and rarely see Barred Owls near my home in Arkansas. I have also heard and seen Great Horned Owls here, but much more seldom. One of my greatest owl memories is seeing a Great Horned up close and personal on a misty autumn day in the Rockies of Colorado. It was one of those magical moments in God’s creation!