April 12, 2010

Early Morning Wonder
by Steve Lamar

I was up early one morning this past week and I’m glad I was as the natural world was alive with action. Nearby in the pre-dawn darkness, the coyotes were singing their dog song in a riotous chorus. Not to be outdone, another pack of coyotes answered farther off to the west. Then off to the northwest a couple of wolves joined the symphony with their long mournful howls. Finally the canine music came to a quick and sudden halt.  A short moment of silence returned but was short lived as two great horned owls hooted back and forth from a riparian area off to the west. Then I realized that a Northern Saw-whet owl was calling from a nearby tree. Its rhythmic call reminded me of someone rapidly sawing a board with a hand saw. I grabbed my flashlight with thoughts of trying to spot this small owl, took a few steps on the loud, crunchy snow and jumped a couple of elk that were bedded down on a small knoll just north of our backyard. Amazed but not wanting to disturb the wildlife any further, I retreated and went back into my warm log home. Inside, I stood looking out my window watching the dawn arrive. The scattered clouds slowly brightened to a beautiful display of reds, oranges, purples, and yellows as the sun rose in the east. As I enjoyed the colorful panorama, two coyotes trotted across the frozen meadow angling toward the carcass of a dead deer that I suspect they had harvested two nights before. Already, a number of ravens and a bald eagle were congregating nearby hoping to get their share of the bounty. What a wonderful morning in Swan Valley!