"Owls of the World" Presentation for Winter Wonders   . . . Details     11:30 AM - 12:45 PM, Parish Hall

Details

Whooo’s watching you?

A memorable "Eyes on Owls" program was presented in our Parish Hall last Sunday to a captive audience of many generations. This truly enchanting event was the highlight for our Church School’s “Winter Wonders” five-week multi-grade session on UU values at Hogwarts Academy. Teacher and naturalist Marcia Wilson engaged everyone with classic calls (student lessons and bird replies), education about their age, injuries, food preference, pellets & poop (white wash), size, flight capacity, adaptations, and habitats.

These gorgeous creatures, all permanently disabled non-releasable birds who can’t survive on their own in the wild, are not pets but traveling ambassadors for schools or group programs. Dr. Wilson shared tips on how to attract and protect owls near us. The 6 live owl visitors in order of smallest to largest were: 2 Eastern Screech Owls (rusty red and gray morph 4-6 oz.), Barred Owl (1.6 lbs.), Barn Owl (natures’ Valentine face), Great Horned Owl (urban resident of cemeteries & parks) and the Eurasian Eagle Owl (largest with 5 foot wing span). See www.eyesonowls.com/aboutowls.htm for more info on these and other breeds or how to build nesting boxes. If you missed us Sunday, check out YouTube-Owls of New England for a short clip from 11/18/2008.

Her husband, Mark Wilson, a wildlife photojournalist, presented our children with a gift print of Snowy Owls on their arctic tundra nesting grounds in far northern Alaska. It’s a lovely reminder that indeed we should follow UU Principle #7 “To respect and care for all parts of our planet”