If you spend very much time at all running on trails, sooner or later you have encounters with wildlife. Here in south eastern Ontario, you run across deer, raccoon, skunks, foxes, porcupines, wild turkey, coyotes- nothing too exotic. Today though, I had a close encounter with something I'd never come close to before.
I was running on the trails in Presqu'ile Provincial Park, which is one of my main running routes. As I was going along, out of the corner of my eye I spotted something buzz really close by my left ear. I figured it was a deer fly beside my head, so I swatted at it and kept going. After another couple of seconds I saw something out of the corner of my eye again, so I quickly turned my head, but nothing was there. It's worth mentioning that I had headphones in (I was listening to the ultra marathoning podcast Talk Ultra if you're interested) so I didn't hear anything.
Anyway, a few seconds after seeing something out of the corner of my eye for the 2nd time, I got to a section of trail where the sunlight broke through the tree cover, so I was able to see my shadow. And, I was also able to see the shadow of a great big bird hovering right over my head. I quickly looked up, and there was an owl about 3 feet over my head, hovering, talons out, making eye contact with me. I'd like to say that I was cool and collected, but I threw my hands over my head and screamed like a little girl, and for a brief moment the owl looked at me like I was pathetic and then swooped off into the forest. I then started to laugh like a lunatic.
That was definitely a first for me. I've been bombed by Red Wing Blackbirds lots of times, but never had an owl come after me like that. Perhaps she had a nest close by and was feeling defensive, or maybe she felt that the short, skinny bald guy would be easy prey- who knows.................
Anyway, getting to see that owl so close was pretty darn awesome, even though it nearly ripped my scalp off.
I was running on the trails in Presqu'ile Provincial Park, which is one of my main running routes. As I was going along, out of the corner of my eye I spotted something buzz really close by my left ear. I figured it was a deer fly beside my head, so I swatted at it and kept going. After another couple of seconds I saw something out of the corner of my eye again, so I quickly turned my head, but nothing was there. It's worth mentioning that I had headphones in (I was listening to the ultra marathoning podcast Talk Ultra if you're interested) so I didn't hear anything.
Anyway, a few seconds after seeing something out of the corner of my eye for the 2nd time, I got to a section of trail where the sunlight broke through the tree cover, so I was able to see my shadow. And, I was also able to see the shadow of a great big bird hovering right over my head. I quickly looked up, and there was an owl about 3 feet over my head, hovering, talons out, making eye contact with me. I'd like to say that I was cool and collected, but I threw my hands over my head and screamed like a little girl, and for a brief moment the owl looked at me like I was pathetic and then swooped off into the forest. I then started to laugh like a lunatic.
That was definitely a first for me. I've been bombed by Red Wing Blackbirds lots of times, but never had an owl come after me like that. Perhaps she had a nest close by and was feeling defensive, or maybe she felt that the short, skinny bald guy would be easy prey- who knows.................
Anyway, getting to see that owl so close was pretty darn awesome, even though it nearly ripped my scalp off.