Yesterday, 12th August, at dusk. Sitting in a high seat on the edge of a wooded valley looking out on to some rough ground and a barley field. The canopy and branches of the big old ash tree slightly overhanging my left side. Very still, almost no breeze. Clear sky. Light starting to fade. An almost full moon rising above the horizon to my right, between a big oak and an old beech tree. Rifle butt on my right thigh, stock resting on the left hand corner of the shooting rail, barrel and moderator pointing up at almost 45 degrees. My hands were both resting on the rifle. Suddenly from my left something swooped silently through the canopy towards me and landed on the very tip of my moderator. An adult tawny owl! I felt the rifle move slightly in my hands as it landed. It’s back was to me. At the moment it landed, it fluffed up all its feathers and from the movement of the back of its head I knew it was scanning the rough ground below and in front of the seat. My heart started thumping. A moment later it turned its head all the way round as owls do and stared straight in to my eyes. It move its head forwards and back and from side to side, just a foot or so from my face. I think at this point I smiled and breathed out; I’d been holding my breath. Off it went as silently as it had arrived, back in to the trees. The rifle barely moved when it flew off. I heard it call three times from the edge of the wood maybe 70 yards away. Then all went quiet.
Has anyone else had an owl land on their rifle while sitting in a high seat? I wonder if that will ever happen to me again. Or is it a once in a lifetime thing? One thing is for sure. I will never, ever forget it.
,I would have included this on Woodsmoke's thread,but the little bugger was hiding..
,,, no I'm just kidding..
