31 Aug American Gothic | Aug. 2015

American Gothic

Great Horned Owl, Male (Left) and Female (Right)

Before Grant Wood painted American Gothic there was another famous couple.

If you were fortunate, you might have heard them calling to each other after sunset.

They really do make a “Whoooo” sound. It’s almost a bit creepy, especially in the dark.

In this photo, there are some notable differences.

First, he’s on the left (instead of on the right as in the painting) and she’s on the right.

Second, male owls are smaller than female owls. So you might have heard the expression, “Don’t mess with mother owl” because she’s a tough, no-nonsense bird.

In fact, owls are strong. They can take off carrying almost three times their weight. So it’s a good idea to keep small dogs and cats inside.

And finally, he’s not holding a pitchfork because, well . . . , Great Horned Owls don’t have hands and they don’t need farm tools. They manage quite well with their talons.

Otherwise, they appear as happy as the couple in the painting.

By the way, owls can be difficult to find because they hide quite well in trees during the day. And then they fly silently after dark. This puts them at the top of the bird food chain.

So here is a rare view of this magnificent bird.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

See more birds at:

Good Bird

Position Open

Celebrate Ordinary

Birding Resources

I took this photo at the Casa de San Pedro B&B – www.bedandbirds.com

See Bird Photos – Bird Photos

Did You Know?

The most effective way to help birds is to buy land.

Here are three organizations that excel at doing this.

1) American Bird Conservancy

2) The Nature Conservancy

3) The Trust for Public Land

Please visit their web sites to learn about the work they do.

Here’s an excellent book: The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation

You can help – Please share this blog with others.

Inspiring Respect for Nature, one bird at a time.

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