The Tell Tale Tongue

As I wrote about HERE, and HERE, owls fascinate me, and I'm quite certain I'm not alone in that. The other day the head of the wildlife rehab shocked me when she told me I could pet the owl. This is one that is used for educational purposes, so getting used to different people is part of his or her life (She said you generally can't tell if owls and hawks and such are male or female -- unless there is a major size difference -- without it being determined surgically. Females would possibly be bigger, to better cover and protect her nest).


Anyway she told me to scratch with my nails behind the head, as owls do that to each other. She also scratches them under the wings. I tried these as you will see below. He got something in his eye when we brought him over to the perch, some feather fluff or something, so he keeps it closed. Would not do that normally. Too bad, as you can see from one eye how intense it would be if (s)he had both open!


This was the second time I did it. The first time, the owl's mouth was open a little, but the tongue was not so obvious. This time I didn't feel right when that was happening, so I tried a few calmer strokes and wrapped it up quickly. Didn't want to upset the bird. I'm just now wondering if my holding the little silver camera was the problem. Maybe it looks like something a vet would use!

Getting the chance to see these birds without a cage and up close is a magnificent thrill. To touch one was utterly surreal.I can't get over how lucky I am. My life has been enriched beyond measure to be able to be near, help, love and share the world with all of these animals.

This is my 108th post. 108 is a significant number in many spiritual teachings. Since I missed my hundredth, I thought the 108th would be something to mention. One hundred and eight stories about animals. I look forward to ten times more.