Along with postcards, stamps, thimbles and probably other things I don't remember, I once collected owls.
Not the real, obviously, or the stuffed specimens like the tatty ones I photographed at the Rural Bygones Auction in September.
Mine were usually pottery or candles, and very small as I couldn't afford anything bigger. I have no idea why I collected them or how it started.
Not many left now.
The one the Cub Scouts gave me when we moved away to the smallholding.
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At my last home we had visits from an owl which left owl pellets in the wood shed, although that too stopped visiting after some Kestrels nested in the Owl nesting box and Magpies nested up in the top of the poplar trees.
Here in my bungalow the garden is too enclosed to see owls and I've not noticed any over the road in the grave yard as yet.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
I love owls! A nice thing to collect! I’ve only ever seen snowy owls. - Jenn
ReplyDeleteWe have just a few different sorts of Owls in this country, but rarely seen
DeleteI love owls. The place I walk daily has a pair of Great Horned Owls that live there. I see them occasionally. This year they had two babies and I was so excited to discover where they had nested and got to see them several times throughout the summer when they first fledged. Really wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping to see a Snowy Owl this winter. I saw two the other year and they were beautiful.
I checked out the owl tree in Christchurch Park while I was home, but I've never been lucky enough to see the owl there. I did see the owl trail this summer lol - but not the same thing.
I read the little book about the Christchurch park Owl, first I'd heard of it
DeleteThe barred owl is the one I hear most often here.
ReplyDeleteThat's one we don't have in the UK
DeleteHa! I used to be Brown Owl!
ReplyDeleteand I was Akela!
DeleteOwls are lovely, aren't they. I have a little collection of china and wooden owls. xx
ReplyDeleteI don't collect anything anymore unless you count books and those are mainly temporary visitors
DeleteTawnys here. They have been very vocal the last week or so. Too-wit - toowoooooooooooooooooooooooo!
ReplyDeleteWe had a camping holiday somewhere on the Welsh borders and were kept awake all night by owls - it was really strange to hear so many
DeleteMy mum used to collect owls. The children would go round counting them and I think there were around 40 inside and out, although I’m sure they missed some! I kept a few. We see a barn owl over the meadow regularly (why the term quartering?) and I love lying in bed listening to the Tawny owls at night. Best owl memory is cycling home from work in the gloamimg on a bridleway and an owl flying alongside me looking me full in the face. Saw a green woodpecker on the grass yesterday sucking up the ants and we are seeing kestrels regularly in the garden too. I think the mild weather and short meadow grass (it is pepper-potted with vole holes) makes an ideal hunting ground. Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful experience you had with an owl. Numbers in Suffolk have certainly dropped in the last few years
DeleteI love owls. Had some great sightings of barn owls in Suffolk. Early one morning I followed one along the Saxmundham - Leiston Road. It was flying over the edge of the field; there was no traffic so I was able to stop and watch. Then on a lovely summer afternoon we watched one hunting at Leiston Abbey.
ReplyDeleteHere on the Cornwall/Devon border we have lots of Tawny Owls. Great hearing them. One night our wildlife camera caught a still shot of a Tawny landing next to the hedgehog bowl which had a wood mouse sitting in it!
I think there are fewer owls around now, too much building work everywhere
DeleteWe had a barn owl and a tawny owl regularly flying around near our last house. I am not sure there will be many here now we are in town.
ReplyDeleteI have a set of black cast iron owl pot stands in the kitchen. Very useful they are too.
Yes I had those owl trivets too - long gone
DeleteNice Viragos in the background!
ReplyDeleteThey are the ones I've read and kept as favourites!
DeleteI often see barn and tawny owls. I particularly like barn owls - lovely faces.
ReplyDeleteThey really are beautiful birds - so rarely seen
DeleteI am rug hooking an owl right now for my grand for Christmas as Harry Potter had a very special owl pet. We do see them from time to time but hear them mostly in the summer calling out.
ReplyDeleteCathy
I've only heard them a couple of times since moving here, over the road and in the graveyard
DeleteMy MIL collected owls. When we were in Alaska, we found a lovely print of a snowy white owl in flight and had it framed as a thank you for caring for our cats while we were away. I was always on the lookout for different owls, whether it be a figurine or jewelry or a coffee mug. Whenever I see an owl, real or otherwise, I think of her. I was very fond of my MIL and we lost her at much too young of age. I miss her everyday. And your post has helped me think about her again, today. Thank you. Ranee (MN) USA (BTW, after my FIL passed away and my husband had to empty the house to sell, he retrieved the print of the white snowy owl and we now have it hanging in our home.)
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear about the Owls. We live in the country but only hear owls very occasionally and I haven't spotted one for years.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Something else we have in common!! I used to collect owls, that is until everyone found out that I collected owls and some of the ones I was bought as presents were just so tacky. Made of seashells, rabbit fur, you name it I had it. I got rid of them all in a very owl-based car boot sale way back in the 90's. Those stuffed owls are hilarious and just need a good Christian burial.
ReplyDeleteFor many years we had a pair of owls nearby. (I read they mate for life.) At night, we could hear them hooting calling out as they hunted their prey. Twice I saw the owl up close. Once, I put my son's hamster cage on the patio to get some air. The owl sat on his branch watching the cage and suddenly flew down to inspect the hamster. The cage fell to the ground and the hamster was okay. A second time, while walking my puppy at the edge of the forest, an owl flew down in a swoop to examine the puppy. The owl decided the puppy was bigger than he thought. Lately, I see no owls.
ReplyDeleteI do love owls. We often hear a Tawny owl hooting during the night and he always makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteI like the little collection of owls you have left. I see owls rarely but love when I do! I am not good at identifying the different types, tho. We have a wildlife center not far from here that takes care of injured animals and they often have owls to see.
ReplyDelete