[obol] a 3 owl, beaver and Lunar Eclipse night

[Linda Fink]

What a night. Since we live in the Coastal hills, the moon comes up 
later here than in the valley. I walked as far west across our pasture 
as I could -- until I was up against the woods -- and could then just 
see the moon appearing over the trees on the east hills. It was 
partially eclipsed by then.

As I watched the shadow move across the moon, I heard a Great Horned Owl 
calling from the woods *and* a Saw-whet Owl. It didn't seem very smart 
for that little owl to be calling when a Great Horned was in the 
neighborhood, but perhaps they were each calling to their lady loves and 
not interested in eating or worried about being eaten. This is the first 
time I've heard a Great Horned here in many years.

I slowly walked back to the house following the moon's rise. As I walked 
in front of the shop, a Barn Owl flew out and over my head.

By this time the moon was high enough that I could see it from the 
upstairs of our house. So Johnny and I sat our chairs by an open east 
window and watched the show. What a beautiful sight!

An hour later, when I went out to do chores, the moon was turning white 
again and the Saw-whet was still toot toot tooting away. As I walked 
past the pond to get to the horse barn, a beaver slapped its tail. I 
shown my flashlight on the pond and the brazen beaver hung in the water 
not far from me, glaring. (Well, I suspect he was glaring because I'd 
ripped all his branches out of the overflow again this morning.)

Note that I did not call out any of these creatures. I have never in my 
life called an owl yet I hear them quite often here on our farm. This 
seems to be owl calling season as the Screech Owl has been bouncing the 
last several nights, but not tonight. Perhaps he has found his mate and 
doesn't need to advertise any more.

Linda Fink, SW Yamhill County, near Grand Ronde