Laura was getting ready for bed a little while ago and told me that she
heard an owl outside the bathroom window.  I stepped outside the front
door and heard a great horned owl softly calling.  I thought it was in the
woods a few blocks away, but I sat on the steps with my MP3 player playing
a great horned owl call, and we had a little conversation.

Laura convinced me I should take a walk to try and find it, so I came back
in and got my coat, and went back out again.  As soon as I went past my
house, I realized that the owl was much closser then I had thought, and it
was just the house muffling the sound.  I made another call witht he MP3
player, and it immedieatly responded loudly, sounding like it was in my
backyard.  I tiptoed into the yard, but it either saw or heard me coming
because it took off from one of the tall trees in the back and headed off
into the woods.  I could clearly see it's silouette against the overcast
sky.

I'll check the yard for whitewash and pellets in the morning.  We have an
air cleaner in the bedroom that unfortunatly muffles the sounds from
outside, so it is certainly possible that the owl has been a regular
visitor without our knowledge.  It's just too bad I didn't know about it
for the CBC two weeks ago.

Alan Burnstine and Laura Appelbaum
Cloverly, MD