As we get older finding original Birthday gifts is getting harder and harder but if there is anything that my husband excels as it is this. Sometimes, as in this case, I was the catalyst for the idea, and then he is off.

This year it was a book review on Owls – “What an Owl knows” by Jennifer Ackerman”

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jun/29/what-an-owl-knows-by-jennifer-ackerman-review

We loved the ones we saw in India but in Australia, truth be told, we have not seen many. I organised a workshop for him on Owls in Queensland so we were well aware that there were about 9 different species to be found in this state alone.

So for my birthday this year I was given an evening with Rob, who took us out for an evening of owl spotting. We went out at dusk as that is when the mums and dads go out to hunt for their young. A beautiful clear night we headed off to Pullenvale in the western suburbs. The stars and silence were aligned. We went to Gold Creek and there we saw these magnificent creatures- all perfectly hidden on perches and in between foliage but Rob was able to show them to us much to our delight.

We had not seen the powerful owl or the night jars so Rob took us out again to bushland close to his home. We were hoping for night jars but were treated to the magnificent view of the Powerful Owl enjoying its breakfast.

Meanwhile in a hollow nearby an owlet was caught napping.

So a month from the said day we wrapped up the Birthday and what a wrap it was sighting the Powerful Owl, looking down at us with such intense eyes while holding his breakfast in his claws.

The Night Jar sleeping in the hollow of a tree and the Emerald Dove were what I would call the icing on the cake.

All photos were taken by Rob Morris our great twitcher guide with a good telephoto lens, not my crappy 1phone.