Last night I took a trip down to Montara beach which is just off Highway 1 (CA). I drove West on 92, hit 1 and took a right. It was the middle of the night.
Just before I had to break for a stop light, I saw a bird of prey with an immense wing span dodge my car by flying right in front and then off to the right. I did my best to make sure I didn’t hit such a beautiful bird, but I had a question:
What in the world was a bird of prey, like a hawk, doing flying around in the middle of night?
The question itself was the answer. It, upon review of my memory, was actually a tall and wondrous owl out at night.
After I took some pictures at Montara, I drove south on Highway 1, passed 92 and decided to just relax on a nearly empty road with wisps of fog emanating from the ground and hanging there like the Sisters of Mercey were about to step onto the road and perform.
Because of the fog I didn’t immediately see the nearly 3ft tall owl standing the middle of Highway 1 staring me down attempting to use sheer willpower to keep me from hitting it. The owl didn’t budge. It’s willpower worked as planned; I swerved and dodged the beautiful bird.
After enjoying the empty road and the womb of fog birthing the ever present droplets in the air I was challenged by yet another animal. A brown rabbit hid in the shrubbery alongside the road waiting for the lack of cars to die down, set its digital watch to beep just before I drove by, and leapt out in front of me just as I drove by at 50 miles an hour.
At that speed on moist road with a rabbit darting out only a few feet in front of you, you go full steam ahead and hope the rabbit planned his trajectory properly like a San Franciscan pigeon. (You can try all you want to nail a pigeon, but they have a magnetic repulsion to tires.)
It is with sadness that I must report that I didn’t jerk my car and potentially cause an accident resulting in horrible injury to myself because the rabbit seemed to be aiming for my tire. I quickly heard the “kah-thunk” of dead rabbit as I drove by.
I am glad I saved two owls and saddened that I took away one of their meals.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
What a neat adventure! 😀
And I left out the adventure that was taking pictures of the waves in the middle of the night. That’s for another post!
Glad you liked it!
And I left out the adventure that was taking pictures of the waves in the middle of the night. That’s for another post!
+1
One reason for owls on the highway at night? Mice. And why mice on the highway? Litter. Here in BC we are encouraged to NOT litter the side of the road at least in part to keep down the rodent population and thus the likelihood of attracting (and cars killing) owls.