Owls

Across the bog and into the pines

A few weeks ago, three Great Horned Owls called on a still, clear night. I opened a window and listened.

One owl’s deep voice hooted from the cluster of pines near our house. I stared at the trees, hoping to spot his shape, but the pine needles protected him. The voices of the other owls floated across the blueberry bog from the location we call “the far back pond”. A pair of beavers moved in about six or seven years ago, and they hacked down numerous poplar trees that edged the pond. They built two small dams, reserving the moisture from spring rains, that we pump to irrigate our blueberry plants during droughts. Near the pond grows the neglected pine tree nursery that forms a small woods. Sometimes, I spy crows attacking the top of a tree where an owl is sleeping.

Despite the snow on the ground, the owls announced they had claimed some other bird’s abandoned nest. In the past, Great Blue Herons arranged sticks in the tops of dead trees that stood in a swampy section of the pond. Because owls prefer an open platform, they might have borrowed one of those nests. Mr. Owl sitting close to my window claimed his territory and advertised for a mate, but no female answered his call. Suddenly, Mr. Owl flapped his wings and soared into the night. I closed my window and fell asleep to the distant calling of the owls.

Because Christmas falls in the middle of the week, we might not ship blueberries that week. We will ship the other weeks in December and you can make an appointment to pick up a box at the farm. To order from our online shop, please visit:

https://pleasanthillfarm.eatfromfarms.com

May you have cozy holidays, shared with folks you love. Meanwhile, Turnip has found his spot for waiting out winter.