Number 53: Closing out the Owls on my Southern African Bird List

A magnificent African Grass Owl.

African Grass Owl, the one owl still missing on my local bird list, the last of the 12 owls found in Southern Africa that I needed to see.

Number 53:

Closing out the Owls on my Southern African Bird List.

Tyto capensis, and I have now seen all our owls!

What a joy and challenge it has been chasing our owls: from Nxabega in the Okavango for Pel's Fishing Owl, to Grahamstown (many times over) for the Cape Eagle Owl, to the Kalahari Gemsbok in 1997 for the Whitefaced Owl, the Barred Owl also in Botswana at Moremi 3rd Bridge, a Giant Eagle Owl near Satara in the Kruger National Park in 1998 and so on.

Here I am, 25 years since I started birding, in a field north of Johannesburg for an African Grass Owl, with Fred and Martie, being guided by Etienne Marais, our fabulous local bird man.

It is a very cold June winter morning and the huge moon seemed to be guiding us in the dark to our meeting point.

With the sun rising, we were ready to scan the patches of blade grass, Etienne explaining that the habitat was perfect for grass owls and in no time at all, there it was, a Grass Owl!

What a completely wonderful moment. It is a magnificent bird with its enormous pale facial disk, liquid dark brown eyes, its dangly long legs protruding behind the tail and even though it is a medium sized owl, it looked huge as it dropped down into the tall, thick, rank grass.

Blade grass in the early morning light. Perfect habitat.