A Study of Willets in First Light

I awoke before first light, threw a coat over my nightgown and headed out to the beach.  I wanted to catch that first liquid gold as it poured over the waves.  The sand was cold under my feet as I topped the dune.  As the light strengthened, I  saw birds sleeping at the surf line. I fell to my knees and crept forward.

I knee-walked across the sand, then fell flat on my belly.

The light brightened and the willets roused.

They looked around blinking sleepily in the light.  One yawned and stretched a leg and a wing. 

The freshening tide swamped the delicate feet of the Willets, bringing with it renewed energy.  The Willets now fully awake began probing the sand.

When the light turned from gold to silver, I lurched to my feet, cold, stiff and sand covered.  The Willets fluttered further down the beach. With a parting shot, I headed in with gold-dazzled eyes and the promise of coffee in the air.   

Owling in the Kitchen

While strolling the streets of Warwick, NY with a friend a few weeks ago I happened to glance in the window of Newhard’s (one of my favorite stores).  I continued walking until what I had seen registered and I backed up.  There was an owl towel hanging in there.  My kitchen towels are a little threadbare and I had just been thinking I needed to get some new ones.

They are hand printed silkscreens  on cotton by Janet Howard-Fatta, a local artist and come in 3 colors, dark green, brown and a mustardy gold.

Now here is the question…What types of owls do you think they are?