Samantha O’Conner/Baker City Herald

owls

About a year or so ago, I had been texting my best friend until around nine at night. I said good night and proceeded to fail at going to sleep.

Instead, I was browsing YouTube and came across a documentary on the lives of snowy owls raising their chicks in Alaska. The video was informative and hilarious when the wildlife photographer got a little too close and the angry male owl chased him away.

Two hours later, I texted my friend: “Dude, I am three inches taller, if that, than the wingspan of a snowy white owl!”

Needless to say, she was confused, but that wasn’t the first time I had texted her about owls out of the blue.

I’m not positive when I started loving owls, but like any fan of the franchise, I would guess it was around the time I first watched “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” I won’t lie — Hedwig is my favorite character.

The snowy owl is one of my favorites but my main favorite is the elf owl. I watched a recent video about elf owls that said they grow to be around 5 inches tall and weigh less than a tennis ball. That is tiny!

I don’t get to see many owls outside of YouTube, Instagram and Planet Earth, but I did have the amazing luck to see one a year or so ago on a walk with my mom.

We were trekking the Leo Adler pathway in Baker City, nearing the Lion’s Park. Boredom had me looking up at the trees and I saw a tree blink at me. It was an owl! He nearly blended into the tree he perched on and seemed mildly annoyed that I was openly gawking at him.

I flagged my mom down and attempted to take a photo of him. Apparently, they are camera shy because he took off before I could get a snapshot.

Now, every time I go down the pathway, I look up at the trees hoping to see another one. I haven’t had much luck yet.

My love for owls has caused me to collect a rather large amount of stuffed owls. I also have a few decorative ceramic owls on my work desk, an owl Scentsy, and a calendar featuring North American owls.

I may have a problem, but that’s fine.

— Samantha O’Conner, reporter, Baker City Herald