Four gray jays help save the day

I’d like to continue with my owl story from last week. There was a lot more I’d wanted to say about my experience that day.

As I had mentioned, the morning we went out was very foggy. Although I initially worried this would ruin our chances of spotting the owl, it lent a certain air of mystery that matched the aura surrounding the bird.

As things turned out, though, the fog lifted and gave way to a beautiful spring-like day – a magical day when everything seemed to fall into place. We really didn’t even have to search for the owl, as the group of birders staked out near it was a dead giveaway. We exchanged friendly hellos with the small group and set up our spotting scope.

At first I couldn’t even see the bird, so perfectly did it blend in against the moss and lichen-covered bole of the tree. In fact it seemed to be just another big, fluffy matt of lichen when viewed with the naked eye. However, when viewed through the binoculars – and especially the spotting scope – the plumage pattern of the feathers resolved into clarity and the shape of the bird materialized.

The bird sat calmly, seemingly undisturbed by our little group, or by the passing of vehicles along the road. (However, as I had mentioned in last week’s article, we may have been a little too cavalier; hindsight tells me we should have been quieter and not moved about as much, but I will never know for sure if this impacted the bird at all). Every once and a while, the owl would turn its head to look at us, and I was struck by this smooth, almost mechanical movement as it swiveled its head around-it was quite unlike the quick, perky movements made by other birds. This, along with its piercing yellow eyes, made it seem much more than just a bird, and brought to mind a statement made by author Julio de la Torre, in his book, “Owls: their life and behavior:”

“Jupiter of birds, the great gray owl possesses an Olympian detachment that is one of the wonders of nature.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

As our little group stood watching the owl, we talked to each other, sharing bird stories. The feeling of shared appreciation for the owl and the general sense of camaraderie was very rewarding. Also, the balmy, spring-like temperatures and soft sunlight made me feel as if we were all on a glorious, unexpected holiday, far from the cares and worries of everyday life.

Eventually, the owl did fly away – when a logging truck had to stop because someone neglected to pull their car far enough off the road. The sound of the truck getting into gear at close range proved to be too much for the bird, and it vanished among the spruces and pines.

We were sorely disappointed when the owl disappeared, but that feeling did not last. Before long, four gray jays appeared a short way up the road. They approached us in relays: first one would fly a short distance, stop and perch on a roadside tree; then one of its fellows would fly forward, passing the first bird, and alight on a branch, and so on until all of them had repeated this maneuver and arrived to where we were standing. They hopped about, checking us out, and posed on twigs and rocks for photo opportunities. What a riot!

It was a perfect day, but it wasn’t over….story to be continued next week.

NEWS bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net