Suicidal Owls

Fact:  The Eastern Screech Owl was first described by Carolus Linnaeus (the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organise plants and animals), who classified it in 1758. The origin of the word "Asio" is unknown, but it came to mean "Owl" in Latin. Eastern Screech Owls have also been called the common screech Owl, Ghost Owl, Dusk Owl, Little-eared Owl, Spirit Owl, Little Dukelet, Texas Screech-Owl, whickering Owl, little gray Owl, mottled Owl, the red Owl, the mouse Owl, the cat Owl, the shivering Owl, and the little horned Owl.

Yes he is cute..adorable even...don't let this innocent looking beautiful owl fool you.  Again, the story I am about to tell you is true.  Another "only in Georgia" experience for me. 

My first encounter with this creature was about 41/2 year ago. Maryann and I shared a house together and I was walking her sweet little dog (which you can't call a dog because she gets mad and so does he because she thinks he is human and so does he).    It was about 9 o'clock in the evening, and Charles and I were in the yard with Zack (whisper...dog...shhh!) So, we were talking and I heard this God awful noise, which sounded like a personal being murdered...I promptly ran in the house with Zack following.  I am sure most of you find this funny.  It wasn't!  I lived and so do in a house were the closest neighbor was at least an acre or two away.  In the country when it gets dark out, it is dark....no street lights, no residue light coming from anywhere.... so my natural instinct, being from South Florida where I worked in Riviera Beach (if you watch COPS, you know the area and there was a murder there daily), was to run...so I did...

Well night before last, I had my second encounter with this cute, adorable bird.  This time my husband was driving me to the CVS to pick up medicine.  My sister was on the cell phone with me, and I heard something hit the windshield.  No only did I hear it, but Maryann on the other end of the phone heard it as well.  I immediate turned to Charles and said..."I sure hope a dear didn't run into us"  (because we have experienced that also) he said, "No, it was and Owl." This thing hit the windshield at lightening speed, as if he were a kamakazi pilot from WWII.   It is one of those times when you automatically say out loud..."What the hell was that!!!"

Then Charles told me of a story that had happened to him years ago involving the cute, adorable bird.  One flew into his truck and it died, so he picked it up and when he tried to have the "road kill" mounted, DNR showed up at his door ready to arest him... Turns out in Georgia, if an Owl should happen to fly into your vehicle and die, please don't go back for it.  It is against the law to have an Owl in your posession. 

Before I forget...the down feather from this thing are still stuck to my antenna, and I am not touching them.