Introducing...

(update: Harriette has been sold)
 Sweet Harriette.

I've been working on her for quite some time...it all started with her feet...

I wanted her to be a life size likeness of a species of owl called the Little owl...

(yes that's actually the real name!)

Her other Latin name is Athene (in Greek mythology the Little owl was the messenger

of Athene, the Goddess of Wisdom) noctua (which in Latin is 'of the night')

So here we have the Wise little messenger of the night.

Although this species does tend to hunt during the day, 

it is like most owls who are busy from dusk till dawn.

Another interesting fact about this owl is that it is not completely carnivorous

as most other owls are. It will eat grasses, seeds, berries and fruit as well.

They will hoard things and have been known to have a cache of 30 things or more!

Maybe that's why I like them so much...sweet little collectors that they are.

In Britain there have been cases of the same Little owls occupying their

nesting site for more than 25 years.

Harriette is perched on and adhered to a vintage wooden spool which someone gave to me years ago..

I've been hanging onto it but decided that Harriette was worthy of acquiring 

it for her perch and there she will sit.

She is 8" tall with the spool adding another 3".

Signed and dated and also identified by a small wooden button signed and dated by myself,

available in my Etsy shop here or through my website here.

Update...

I've been keeping my eyes on the young owls...I guess they're called owlets?

I've seen two of them but never together.

The other morning I found one sitting in  their favorite maple tree

so I snapped a few photos to show you all...

 And what goes better with owls than that big full moon the other night?!

 Maybe one night I'll catch them all together!



Good Monday morning...

A bright and beautiful day here on the Island...up early...laundry pegged on the line...

Don't you love the feel and smell of sheets after they've been in the fresh air all day?

Up behind the house the Ocean Spray is getting ready to bloom...

 It's such a delicate flower...kind of like babies breath on a tree but much prettier...

It shares this area with the native shrub we call Indian Plum...

 Right now it's turning from a golden yellow to gorgeous orange and

soon it will be magenta and purple.

Hopefully the Scarlet Tanager will come again this year to feast on the tiny fruits

and maybe I'll get a photo or two to show you... 

Just below the canopy of this greenery lies a very large rock covered in

Rock Crop...a native succulent that's in yellow bloom right now...

The hummingbirds have been bringing the new babies around so the

feeders are literally a-buzz with action.

Yesterday evening as I was about to hang the feeder I gave it to Tom to hold...they are so

obsessed with feeding that they couldn't even wait for me to hang it up!

See, to the right of his hand on one of the feeder holes?

Speaking of birds...I've been keeping an eye on the Great Horned owl

and have since learned that there's not only one but TWO babies.

I saw them yesterday morning (without my camera)

so today I went out with it but only spotted the parent having a morning nap...

 I feel like this some mornings too!!

 So I left her alone and maybe I'll catch up with them another day when

they're all together...she probably needed some down time

after been out hunting all night to feed two hungry beaks!

And speaking of where the wild things are...

Happy Birthday to Maurice Sendack who's imagination

still speaks to the child in me every time I see his stories.

 



Lucky!

On Sunday I was lucky to have a close encounter with a Great Horned owl

and then on Monday when I was walking in the woods,

I saw another one fly through the trees.

Next I heard a strange bird call that I didn't recognize and upon

further investigation, I realized there was a baby Great Horned

owl and this must have been it's mom looking for food

for the young one.

I didn't have my camera so Griff and I just sat by the creek below

the tree where the baby was perched and watched each other.

Wednesday I went for a morning walk with Norene and we spotted the

mom fly out from between the trees.

I knew her baby must be close and then...there it was!

Only about 10 feet above the path we were on

and THIS time I had my camera!!!

So here to share with you, this fuzzy

ball of feathers, just beginning to get it's 'horned' ear tufts...

How lucky is that?!

To glimpse this magnificant bird and it's young is truely a gift.



Morning visit...

Sunday morning...up early...a gorgeous sun filled morning!

After an early walk with Griffin, I sat down on the porch with my mug of tea and camera.

There's a sound that you hear in the woods especially this time of year.

Robin's yelling.

They're mad and afraid for their babies.

As the fledgelings are leaving the nest, they're perfect fodder for bigger birds of prey.

Up behind the barn that sound was loud and clear today.

As always, I knew who they were yelling at...

 A magnificent Great Horned owl...

 He watched us, we watched him...

 Even the hummingbirds were diving at him, but there he sat...

 Quietly going about his business...

His day ending and ours just beginning.



Simone...

Did you know that barn owls are in decline?

There are many reasons for this including mechanized farming methods, 

rodent poisoning, loss of habitat due to the popularity of barn conversions

and general environmental conditions...

So I've made a tribute to this beautiful bird...

This is Simone.

A most graceful and mysterious looking owl they do not build a nest but prefer to rear their

young in tree cavities, silos, barns and abandoned buildings.

Barn Owls are considered beneficial to farmers - a family of six young and

two adults can consume over 1000 mice during one nesting season! 

 I love making owls. They take a lot of work because of the detail on their feathers,

but oh so worth the end product.

Fly on over to my etsy shop  for a peek...