Owls are among only a few species of birds that are nocturnal and are the most common night birds in North America. Birds are often considered the only living descendants of dinosaurs, and their evolution happened fast! One estimation is that more than 10,000 bird species evolved in only a few million years after dinosaurs became extinct. Like all birds, owls have a long lineage of sixty-seven million years ago starting not long (evolutionarily speaking) after the extinction of dinosaurs. And their hoots are compelling, too-they certainly sound different from other birds! Something about owls feels different - they seem remote, in charge, strong, subtle, secretive…almost sneaky, and (yes) wise. And their flight is eerily quiet even though their wings flap dramatically as they launch themselves from a limb or some other perch. There is something about the owls…they seem to have a bead on you, staring directly at you without blinking. And occasionally I saw owls, usually great horned owls that are often active at dusk and dawn. One early morning on my way to meet my running chums, I saw two coyotes cavorting on the golf course. And it had critters: squirrels and rabbits of course, foxes, badgers, skunks, coyotes, and a black bear once spotted there. It was a small, hilly, self-contained neighborhood with twisty roads, small houses, big trees, overgrown alleys, sidewalks, and pocket parks near the venerable Bobby Jones golf course. For almost 40 years we lived in a wonderful old neighborhood in Atlanta.
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