Like noisy teenagers
the crow gang
swoops
from tree to tree,
looking to make trouble.
Resting high among the branches
of a three story pin oak tree,
the mother great horned owl
watches the crows’ progress.
Nearby
two fluffy chicks balance
on the edge of a nest basket,
anxiously watching the sky.
Mother’s presence
draws the hostile crows away from the nest,
confrontation the only option.
Dive bombing crows
peck at mother’s head
as they sweep past.
In fact,
a great horned owl
can take out a crow
with mastered efficiency.
A fierce predator, this mother owl
chooses the role of hunted
rather than hunter,
all to protect the nest.
Eventually,
the squawky pack
tires of the owl’s steadfast calm.
Where is the fun in that?
Danger gone,
the mother shakes out
her marbled brown and white feathers,
lifts from the oak branch,
and settles on the lip of the nest.
She turns toward her admiring chicks
to supervise breakfast,
as the sun crests
over the tree tops.
A Reading Life 
So much detail! Crows as noisy teenagers, the owl’s steadfast calm (in spite of her fierce predator skill), and the peaceful scene in the nest at the end… a great slice of life we might not see without the poem.
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Diane, you have capture nature’s finest in a lovely missive of a fierce predator and yet doting mother to her admiring chicks.
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Wow! I felt as if I were watching this natural drama unfold. I love how the mother owl “chooses the role of hunted rather than hunter” to protect her babies.
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This interesting tale reflects a carefully observed scene, and phrases like “the crow gang” and “the squawky pack
tires of the owl’s steadfast calm” make the story a joy to read. You find so much to write about on your morning walks! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us later sleepers.
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