Tale of a Saw-Whet Owl

[Ira Sanders]

Last night I was in Wheat Ridge at a friend's warehouse where we play ping pong, and at about 8:00 a bird flew in through the open big garage door.  It flew around for a bit and then landed on a wire and I id'd it as a Saw-whet Owl.  It settled down and despite our efforts to get it to leave it wouldn't.  About 9:30 we closed up the warehouse with the owl inside and I told my friend I'd come back in the morning when he opened up to see if the owl would leave and get some better pictures.  

This morning, Tammy and I went back to the warehouse and I finally located the owl in a different part of the warehouse.  We opened the big doors and again the owl wasn't in a hurry to leave.  I got pictures and it seemed the owl was acting a little lethargic in a corner of the building so we called the Birds of Prey rehab center in Broomfield and left a message.  Tammy and I left and later got a message from my friend that the owl had flown out and into a conifer outside the building at about 8:20.  

Hopefully, the little guy does well and stays outside.  I'm guessing that the smoke and to some extent, the drought, has driven the owl down from the hills and I hope it's health is OK.

--

Ira Sanders

Golden, CO

"My mind is a raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."