blown off course
snowy owl in the palms
strikes a pose
An escaped pet—or perhaps a stowaway on a ship from Alaska, this beauty has been drawing crowds to suburban Orange County.
Some call her a Christmas miracle since she appeared during Advent. But the real miracle is less the glory of snowy herself than the kindness of the neighbors who are letting people trample into their backyards to stand at a respectful distance in awe.
She seems healthy and is hunting. Blown off course, perhaps she chose this dark flat roof because it resembles the tundra of her habitat. Not surprisingly, birders are driving hundreds of miles just to catch a glimpse of her.
In Japan, you can find snowy owls in the far north— in Hokkaido. Owls in general are considered lucky animals in Japan. As Gabi Greve writes:
Because of its name, pronounced fukuroo. Read as fu kuroo 不苦労, it means "no hardships, no trouble". Therefore, little things with an owl are very popular in Japan.
In haiku, they fall under winter. The poem by Issa is one of my favorites.
梟がさきがけしたり梅の花
the owl
first in line to see it—
plum blossoms
And here is one by Alan Watts that I love:
Owl at night is always sound, not sight
Also a lovely entry by Charles Trumbull on owls at Frogpond (from a Field Guide on North American Haiku).
Oh, to stand in wonder!
Oh, this is really a special gift! How wonderful! She really is gorgeous. That's a great shot of her hunkered down on to the roof. Really does make you wonder what brought her! And she is the only one who knows.
I've been watching all week, mesmerized by her equanimity in the face of such crowds. With owls, it's always about what those magnificent eyes know, or what they can tell us. How can one not be hypnotized?