today i had a pretty amazing walk. after two days of no Naturing (for great reasons – rehearsal and performing, yay! Eastbaysia visit, yay!), i was so happy to get out into the green. walked through the Monarch Bear Grove, Secret Gardens, and Oak Woodlands Trail. when i got to the end of the OWT, i was stunned at how light it was still. checked the time, and how could the sun still be up so high when it’s already 6pmish?? oh, RIGHT. we’re an hour later. and it dawned on me that my usually perfect timing of hearing and seeing owls was no more. another reason to hate when we Spring Forward. i headed to the Eucs east of the Lily Pond anyway, as i had planned to try catching the Great Horned Owls of the Lily Pond. figured i’d just take a look in case i could spot a nest, as i’m figuring that’s what they’re doing right now. turns out that hill of Eucs is quite noisy with the loud Starlings that are hanging there these days and the loud ass tennis noises and the flippin’ helicopter that flew overhead and the airplane and the loud car on Fulton and OMG I HATED EVERYONE RIGHT THEN. i was comforted by watching a Ruby-crowned Kinglet flitting about so close to me, as they seem to often do when i’m out by myself. i planned to head home soon as it was getting chilly with the wind. and then, i heard TWO HOOTS. they were so faint, like murmurs, as they often sound at first in the evening. but it was only 6:19 or so. still so far from sunset. did i just hear it because i wanted to hear it? i decided to stay. see if i could confirm what i’d heard. while waiting, i watched my Kinglet friend super close to me, and then it sat still. for a really long time. this NEVER HAPPENS. i stood there watching it be still, thinking that i might get an owl encounter i can confirm, but this precious moment happened. i decided to finally head home and took about ten steps away when i SO TOTALLY HEARD HOOTING BEHIND ME. i frickin’ cried from happiness. and thus, the nightly hooting ritual began. and i FOUND THEM. AND THEY ARE NESTING. AND I KNOW WHERE THE NEST IS. no photos, as they are at/in the tippy top of their tree. so instead i’m showing these new leaves from a nearby Coast Live Oak tree, which is a significant tree to me as it’s one of the first trees i noticed when i began Naturing. i can’t begin to describe the effect on me that my time in the urban natural world has had. the world is so much more interesting and fascinating and enriched because of all that i’ve experienced and observed and learned. for the likely few of you that bother to read my Naturing journal entries like this, i hope you’ve enjoyed a glimpse into my newly expanded world. and that first day of Naturing turns out to be March 17, 2020. so, it’s like the end of Winter and start of Spring, the coming full circle of my Naturing anniversary, and my graduation to full on OWL WITCH.
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The Afternoon Naturalist