A great horned owl was hooting outside our bedroom window last night, the first calls I have heard this season. Like a town crier with an important message, he seemed to be warning the locals that, despite our current mild weather, winter is on the doorstep.
Of course, this vocal fellow was merely responding to his own hormones, unleashed by the waning period of daylight; the long, chilly nights are good for hunting and his mating season is fast approaching. At this point, in mid autumn, he is just announcing his presence and his target is not the human ear.
No doubt, his hooting (and that of his eventual mate) will increase in the coming months. Unfazed by frigid nights and heavy snow, he will relish the dark, quiet season of nature's year.
Of course, this vocal fellow was merely responding to his own hormones, unleashed by the waning period of daylight; the long, chilly nights are good for hunting and his mating season is fast approaching. At this point, in mid autumn, he is just announcing his presence and his target is not the human ear.
No doubt, his hooting (and that of his eventual mate) will increase in the coming months. Unfazed by frigid nights and heavy snow, he will relish the dark, quiet season of nature's year.
