Owls are such unusual birds with their big eyes that draw us in and calls at night that make us smile. Despite the warm-fuzzies most associate with owls, they are  effective predators – raptors, plain and simple.

I came to know this first-hand some years ago, while hiking a remote northern Georgian Bay island. I came across a Great Horned Owl mid-day on the rocky beach. I don’t typically associate owls with daylight. They are nocturnal hunters by and large.

And yet, there it was, a knee-high bird standing on the sunny shoreline at mid-day. It had a large, mature seagull in its beak. The gull was so large that the owl was weighed down. It could fly only a few dozen yards before having to land again. It slowly hop-scotched down the shoreline and finally made a concerted effort to fly up into the trees.

This pair looks about as innocent as any owl could. But I suspect they will be terrors when they grow up – in that charming and unusual way that is so characteristic of owls.

If you enjoy owls, you might want to check out The Owls Fan Page  on Facebook.