Puku
We headed out to the "backyard" area of the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum to check out the raptor housing. The shutter screens of the housing were lowered so we could look into the individual rooms reserved for the raptors of the Eyes in the Sky program.
Puku, the Western Screech Owl, wasn't visible and I speculated that she might be in her little box. We leaned on the railing to peer in. The glass had a message "do not tap on the glass." Was Puku a no show?
We turned around to walk away. A small amphitheater with rocks for seating had a small stream nearby. Pots and pans and a colander sat on the ground near a water spigot next to a wood storage structure, subdivided into “pots, pans, and colanders.” Kids milled around making restless and loud banging noises with all the cookware. A lady sat in a lawn chair, her face content and interested....then, we noticed a small feathered bundle, comfortably attached to her hand.
There was Puku, calmly turning her head slowly, rotating back and again turning her head slowing, again and again. She was “tracking.”
(I am terrible at remembering so I don’t recall the lady/handler’s name.)
The handler invited us to move in closer. It was obvious that Puku had cloudy eyes. The lady explained that Puku had contracted a virus when a youngster that would have blinded her completely if it were not for veterinary intervention. We were told that Puku had 25% vision in her right but was totally blind in her left eye.
All of the birds in the program, including a red tailed hawk, a peregrine falcon, a great horned owl, a barn owl, and two beautiful kestrels, are all rescues that cannot be released for one reason or another. The birds are all calm professionals and the trust they have with their handlers is obvious. Puku is no exception.
Puku’s feathers are soft and delicate with the humble browns and grays you’d find in Oak Tree bark. It was tempting to ask if we could pet her. The little Western Screech Owl appeared to invite tactile contact from humans. We were told that in the past, she was touched and her head area rubbed but some of her feathers were rubbed off, …loved off, because of the oil present on our fingers. A bit of a Blarney Stone. Puku had developed a little bald patch which has since resolved. So, no more petting for this avian gal. Too bad.
We took many photos and asked many questions. Puku was a picture of tolerance and acceptance. How could one photo capture her beautiful and wise spirit?
Puku
We headed out to the "backyard" area of the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum to check out the raptor housing. The shutter screens of the housing were lowered so we could look into the individual rooms reserved for the raptors of the Eyes in the Sky program.
Puku, the Western Screech Owl, wasn't visible and I speculated that she might be in her little box. We leaned on the railing to peer in. The glass had a message "do not tap on the glass." Was Puku a no show?
We turned around to walk away. A small amphitheater with rocks for seating had a small stream nearby. Pots and pans and a colander sat on the ground near a water spigot next to a wood storage structure, subdivided into “pots, pans, and colanders.” Kids milled around making restless and loud banging noises with all the cookware. A lady sat in a lawn chair, her face content and interested....then, we noticed a small feathered bundle, comfortably attached to her hand.
There was Puku, calmly turning her head slowly, rotating back and again turning her head slowing, again and again. She was “tracking.”
(I am terrible at remembering so I don’t recall the lady/handler’s name.)
The handler invited us to move in closer. It was obvious that Puku had cloudy eyes. The lady explained that Puku had contracted a virus when a youngster that would have blinded her completely if it were not for veterinary intervention. We were told that Puku had 25% vision in her right but was totally blind in her left eye.
All of the birds in the program, including a red tailed hawk, a peregrine falcon, a great horned owl, a barn owl, and two beautiful kestrels, are all rescues that cannot be released for one reason or another. The birds are all calm professionals and the trust they have with their handlers is obvious. Puku is no exception.
Puku’s feathers are soft and delicate with the humble browns and grays you’d find in Oak Tree bark. It was tempting to ask if we could pet her. The little Western Screech Owl appeared to invite tactile contact from humans. We were told that in the past, she was touched and her head area rubbed but some of her feathers were rubbed off, …loved off, because of the oil present on our fingers. A bit of a Blarney Stone. Puku had developed a little bald patch which has since resolved. So, no more petting for this avian gal. Too bad.
We took many photos and asked many questions. Puku was a picture of tolerance and acceptance. How could one photo capture her beautiful and wise spirit?