Owling

Yesterday, our errand running turned into a National Geographic Nature episode.

We started off in Newington and picked up our picnic lunch at Stew Leonard's. Fun for kids while grocery shopping.

Then we took the ferry, and got the oil changed at Reynold's Subaru. Delaney thinks that a princess lives at this castle.

After we arrived at the in-laws, we saw an owl in a nearby branch. She kept flitting from branch to branch; but focusing on the fence. We thought that Poppy had left a rag or something hanging out while he was working. Am forgot our baby carrier at the dealership, so he had to make a return trip. As he drove by the fence, he noticed it was one of the baby owls! He was able to free its elbow from the fence and put it on the post. It was so amazing to see the intimidating posture of momma owl to Am. She kept snapping her beak and hooting.
After some more drama and another owl removal from the fence, we put the baby in a taller branch of a substantial mountain laurel. The whole time, the two siblings were observing – one from a branch where it could test its wings, and the other from the comfort of its home. I was surprised at how calm the baby owl that got stuck was and how patient the momma was. We observed the dialogue between the mother and the stranded owling; she seemed to be encouraging and instructing it how to get back into the tree. As for the owling out on the limb, she seemed to coaxing it out farther on the branch and stretch its wings. We kept chuckling at the baby observing from the safety of its home; it kept reaching its head out as far as it could stretch and looked straight down, as if to say, "We are awfully high up! I don't know about this flying thing…"

Of all the days not to bring a camera around, Am took these with his phone.

To top off an amazing nature day, a beautiful moon and the spring peepers.