Barn Owls Mating On Orion's Belt

Oxbow Marina

Tonight is 10 June 01 and it is 2130 hrs. I am reading Harry Potter and fascinated with the present chapter in book 3. “ Silhouetted against the golden moon, and growing larger every moment, was a large, strangely lopsided creature, and it was flapping in Harry’s direction. He stood quite still, watching it sink lower and lower. For a split second he hesitated, his hand on the window latch, wondering whether to slam it shut. But then the bizarre creature soared over one of the street lamps and Harry, realizing what it was, leapt aside. Through the window soared three owls, two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious.”

The owls have begun their nightly flights soaring back and forth over the boat sheds at Oxbow. The noise seems louder that the past few nights, however last night was the afterglow of several hundred boaters for the annual party. I get up, turn off the cabin light and climb up into the cockpit and grab my flashlight. A routine that has been birthed these past two months. Each night is the same, but different in the intensity of the cries, the clicking, the numbers of birds and the patterns of flight.

I have already closed the back window and drawn the shades to block the morning sun, so lift the shade and unzip the window, as I see 2 birds on the metal roof of "B" shed. This is different. They are 30 feet apart and I shine the light on one and then the other. Another hidden bird flies from out of nowhere directly towards me and lands on the roof, his sharp talons scraping the metal roof. Not my favorite sound, much like clawing your fingernails down the chalkboard. Moments later another flies and lands on the roof near the other and hits with a big thump. I hear screaming. The "B" shed birds are now sitting next to each other. Something I have not seen. I shine the light on them and they are looking directly at the source of my light. I see all four eyes staring back at me. Another bird comes zooming through past my boat into the shed. It looks like tonight might be one of those attack nights. Usually the light makes them fly away and never to be seen again.

I continue focusing on the pair on "B" shed. I have the light on them and they get closer next to each other and they are making a very quiet scream. Then the one on the left side stretches tall and circles around to the back of the other and mounts her. They stay together for a few seconds and then separate. He moves a few feet apart and flaps his wings and then flies off. The female stays for a few minutes and then flaps her wings, but hops farther on the roof and I can hear her land in another place, but cannot see her.

Looking over the top of "B" shed in the distance I see the belt of the constellation Orion. I have just witnessed 2 barn owls mating for the first time in my life. Last month I had a barn owl land on my deck and almost fall into my open hatch on my face, I have scooped a baby owl out of the slough with my fishing net and now I see them mating. Two months ago I had never seen a barn owl. Now I have 3 owl feathers, feel as though, Harry Potter has nothing on me. An hour has passed and the Kamakasi owls are still dive bombing on the top of the shed. Is this not a hoot or what?