Night Owls

Hearing an owl in the night evokes a sense of mystery and wonder. On a number of occasions I have heard one owl call and another respond from a distance. All other sounds fall away and their conversation is the most interesting thing in the night.  I’ve seen silhouettes of owls but had never had a clear look at one until I saw Max and three other birds of prey at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

 The Santa Barbara Audubon Society has adopted four birds of prey from rescue organizations and the birds are now ambassadors for the society’s Eyes in the Sky education program. The birds are housed in the Audubon Aviary in the backyard of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

Max in the backyard of the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum

 Max is a great horned owl who fell out of his nest when he was a baby. He was “imprinted” by his human rescuers, meaning he does not know the difference between humans and owls. He is considered non-releasable because he would not know how to care for himself in the wild.

 Max was born in 1998 and even though he has lived all these years with humans, to see him up close felt like I was looking at the majesty of a wild animal.

Night Owls oil 24x18” ©2021 Susan McDonnell. Available at Sullivan Goss Gallery

I painted him back in the wild and perhaps took off a few years. There is a little lizard on the branch to keep him company in the night. Lizards are daytime creatures but like me this one is a bit of a night owl.

May 25, 2023