Fork + Fauna

For the last year or so, the number of owls arriving at this house has increased exponentially. We haven’t entered the wizarding world (and it’s too bad, too—I’d rather have a snowy owl deliver my mail over breakfast than have to check my phone, computer, mailbox …). But we do have a two-year-old who has developed an obsession for owls.

Part of this is my own doing. I’ve found a few great owl videos online, and we watch them over and over again:

And I’ve also been surprised at how many owls appear in children’s books—and how easily small eyes can spot them. The budding ornithologist has spotted owls (yuck yuck) in everything from Richard Scarry’s classic to new favorites like The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers.

So when I saw this recent study about snowy owls, I couldn’t resist taking a look. Researchers found that snowy owls use their white plumage to signal other owls. Birds with the whitest feathers frequently found perches near the snow, where the reflected light might make their feathery beacons burn even brighter.

by Tambako the Jaguar on Flickr

We don’t get a lot of snow around here, but we did make something fluffy and white to celebrate the resident ornithologist’s recent birthday. Waffles with ginger whipped cream kicked off a long day of eating and stormy puddle stomping.

Ginger Whipped Cream

1 small carton heavy cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

Whip together. Serve with waffles. Or pancakes. Or put it in your coffee. It’s good on everything.

And here’s one last owl video. Not really a glimpse of owl natural history, but after watching this one 117 times, I find myself humming this song at the strangest times.