I love to wander at sunset. I watch the jays and crows and ravens post up high on tree branches to watch the sun go down – as they seem to do any night that the sun is out – and I do the same as often as I can. I bask in that last light of day, that light that seems to bath the body and spirit in a rejuvenating and relaxing wash. It makes everything seem ok. My eyes feel strained as the light and color drain away from the landscape, but my hearing and skin sensitivity grow tenfold as they expand into the night to replace it. It’s electric. It’s the time of sound and feeling. Trees that I didn’t particularly notice before suddenly glow with a light that seems to come from within. The night air quickly turns cold.

It’s the time of the owls.

As I understand it, barn owls don’t typically wake up and fly out until well after dark. Lately though, this particular barn owl has been coming out in this warm Bay area weather just after sunset, allowing me to get some photographs and share a few moments of the hunt. It’s something you never forget. The owl soundlessly brushes over the landscape like a gently held paint brush – sometimes fluttering, sometimes gliding – then dropping down onto its unsuspecting prey.

barn owl on the hunt	barn owl on the hunt 2	barn owl on the hunt 3