Owl

By Kieran

 Owl: The ultimate stealth hunter


 

Original artwork and poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025, inspired by the owl nest we built 3 years ago to counter the post-COVID rodent explosion


In the eerie silence of the night, an owl sits motionless, listening for the slightest sounds.
 
Somewhere in the darkness, a rodent cautiously sniffs the cool air to see if danger abounds.
 
 
In a game of Russian roulette, it skips quietly over a branch and lands on a leaf with a crunch.  
 
Oops, because that's all the owl needed to turn its head 135 degrees ... hmm, something to munch!
 
 
Its laser-sharp eyes zero in on the spot despite the pitch darkness, and it glides effortlessly
 
Without flapping its wings, it homes in on the rodent, its talons outstreched rather perilously
 
 
The rodent catches movement from the corner of its eye and, in panic tries to scurry to safety.
 
Razor-sharp claws end its misery as the owl swallows its meal - fur, tail and all - mmm, tasty
 
 
What makes the owl such a lethal predator? The ears move asymmetrically, giving it location in 3D
 
The dish-shaped face work like satellite dishes, magnifying the sound for a reaction that's speedy
 
 
Large eyes packed with light-sensitive cells can see in the dark; its head turns 270 degrees. 
 
Its razor-sharp talons with two toes facing front and two back, penetrate and crush with ease.
 
 
The owl uses patience, stillness and stealth rather than speed or pursuit; and glides without sound.
 
 The feathers, soft and fringed, dampen any turbulence, making it the deadliest killer pound for pound.
 
 
Footnote: Related photo from Social media

 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Kieran I'm sure as time goes by with all the material you have with your creative illustrations and poems you can publish your own book. Keep it up. (WhatsApp comment from a very supportive cousin in Mumbai)
November 7, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Kieran said…
Thank you, dear cousin. As it happens I am busy publishing two coffee table books. One on the Heredia genealogy (maternal grandmother) and the other on my class of 1976/78 Golden Jubilee - Kieran
November 7, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Anonymous said…
Excellent! I have written about an owl... on page 20 of my 2005 book titled 'Vignette'

The owl
-------------
High flying wise owl
Why do you scowl?
Wings outstretched
Fingers on the breeze

Sailing over the snow
Over hill and dale
Softly, smoothly soar
Searching for a flash of fur

A furtive movement
A rush to hide
Then a silent moment, the sudden strike.
Life brushed aside

(WhatsApp comment from my dear friend Ajay Anil Adhiya)
November 7, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Anonymous said…
Thank you....when I wrote this, I had in front of me a screensaver photograph of a barn owl gliding over a snow-covered open space, a fringe of trees around, towards something it had seen...its eyes focused like a sniper...
This poem was written, deliberately sparse of words, the silence reflecting the gliding flight of the owl...words seemed superfluous..
(Reply to above WhatsApp comment)
November 7, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Kieran said…
Yes, I noticed. An assassin has no need for excess - Kieran
November 7, 2025 at 6:46 PM
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