Tuesday Dose of Cute: One of the Neatest Birds I've Ever Seen

And the Winner of Flyaway by Suzie Gilbert!

More photos thie little screech owl here

Thanks to all of you who entered the giveaway for a copy of Flyaway: How a Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings. All of your neat stories about birds and wildlife rescues (click here and scroll down to the comments section to read them) have been so heartwarming and delightful to read. I definitely think you're the perfect audience for this book!

Congratulations to the random winner, Nicolita! She said:

When I was about 9, we moved to a few acres in California's Central valley. Every spring clouds of birds would nest in the pine trees that my grandparents had planted in the backyard, mostly Brewer's blackbirds, scrub jays, the occasional mocking bird. And every time we had a strong wind I would race our beloved calico cat, Spicy, to reach the baby birds that would fall to the ground.

Sometimes I even made it in time, and my dad would help me mix up a little peanut butter watered down enough to go through a dropper. They were so incredibly fragile, sometimes they were so young you could actually see through their skin, pretty gross. But I couldn't stop scooping up those poor little things, no matter how many times I faced the inevitable failures. Yes, I'm afraid most of them died. BUT...one time we actually suceeded. And seeing that scruffy little scrub jay fly off made all the other times pale in comparison!

As for this gorgeous little screech owl, it was the bright spot on an awful day back in January of 2008, which you can read about (and see more owl photos) here. That was the beginning of a long and horrible sheep killing spree by coyotes that went on for several months, and at the time I published the owl post, there was no end in sight. Fortunately things have changed, and you can read about how here. Thanks to Daisy and Marta, our amazing livestock guardian dogs, we sleep much more soundly at night and (knock on wool) haven't lost any sheep to coyotes in over a year and a half.

Watching that owl was one of my favorite farm moments, and I'll never forget it. To this day, the son of the donkey peddling cowboy, who was just four when he and his dad stopped by and saw the owl, still brings it up nearly every time I see him, which makes the experience just that much more special.

Want to read more about farm life?

6/3/05: An Unexpected Beginning (my very first blog post)

6/8/05: That Outfit Could Kill You

6/27/05: Chocolate Chip Sheep & Chocolate Chip Cookies (and How To Hug a Sheep)

7/31/05: When? Soon (Living on Country Time)

8/10/05: Whoa! Farm Visitors

4/12/06: Hearts and Rocks and Numbers and Thoughts

4/13/06: Shepherd's Nightmare

5/14/06: A Tiny Tail for Mother's Day (the story of baby Cary)

6/15/06: How to Ensure a Happy Haying Crew

7/21/06: And Sheeeeeeee's SAFE!

7/18/06: The Tail of a Donkey and His Ratty Blue Halter

9/1/06: Happy Hour in the Garden

1/19/07: Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Life is but a Stream

1/28/07: At Least I Have Chickens to Cheer Me Up

1/31/07: Sheep Shearing Early for a Change

2/3/07: Snowstorms and Sheep Shearing

5/13/07: The Tail of Two Mothers—A Mother's Day Story from the Farm

7/28/07: (It Only Looks Like) A Picture Perfect Walk in the Woods

2/3/08: Handyman Special

2/16/08: Snowed In, Day Six

3/10/08: Broccoli Soup & Recharging Your Dead Batteries (Because Setting Them on Fire Isn't an Option)

3/13/08: Cary, No Baby

3/19/08: Flood Watch

9/18/08: Putting Up Hay and Losing Electricity

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