Barred Perched to Hunt in Snow

Repeatedly diving into a patch of reeds at the edge of a marsh and returning to his perch without a meal, this encounter was most notable in his lack of reaction to my elderly dog and I walking home through the pasture beside him. Having met this Owl hundreds of times on our walks over many years, his typical behavior had been to pause hunting or flush to a perch farther or higher. Two hundred feet away, we paused to sit on a log and observe, letting the hunt play out until he naturally moved on to work a new spot and we could pass without disturbing him.

The extraordinarily trusting reaction to our presence had only been earned after years of respecting this Owl's space and would be my dog's final visit with him — until it perched over his casket weeks later.

16 February 2025

© 2025 — Ryan Van Meter — All Rights Reserved — No Reuse Without Permission — License