Owls and Hummingbirds

Laura Erickson, author, radio program producer, and otherwise known as "The Dr. Ruth of Birds"

Duluth, Minnesota

Owls and hummingbirds aren’t related but are similar and different in fascinating ways. Owl feathers are soft and cryptically colored; hummingbird feathers are stiff and iridescent. Many owls mate for life; hummingbirds do not. Owls seldom construct nests; hummingbirds construct complex nests that stretch to accommodate growing chicks.

Male and female owls care for their young together; male hummingbirds take no role in raising young at all. Yet the two groups are among the most familiar of birds, both featured as cartoon characters, and both famous for their own characteristic sounds.

Which is the Arnold Schwarzenegger of the bird world, and which the Obi-Wan Kenobi? Learn how scientists study these fascinating birds and learn about their lives and biology in a fun and interesting presentation.

Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 11:00 AM

(c) Roger Meyer

A Real Life Owl Soap Opera

Karla Bloem, Houston Nature Center Director/Naturalist and world authority on Great Horned Owl vocalizations

Houston, Minnesota

First Victor evicted Wendell and Wheezy from their own territory.  Then Wheezy got sick and was taken in to rehab and Wendell waited every day for her to return.  Wheezy died so Victor and Virginia ran Wendell off.  Then when Rusty and Iris moved in, Scarlett Owl Hara showed up to try to steal Rusty and kill Alice.  If this sounds like a soap opera, it is!  But it’s a real life, true as true can be owl soap opera that has taken place just outside of Houston.

Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 1:30 PM

Owl Bible Study

Lane Zaffke, Senior Pastor at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Houston, Minnesota

Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 12:30 PM

(c) Allan Eccles

The Pot Plant Owl Story

Tracy Eccles, Pot Plant Owl host and writer

Johannesburg, South Africa

Imagine waking one morning in your cosy bed in your suburban home. You open the curtains to let the morning sun filter in - and discover an owl staring at you from the potted plant on your balcony. Your breath quickens as you try, unconvincingly, to blend into the background. Slowly you slink out of view.  Little did Tracy and her husband Allan know how truly privileged they’d become. For on that fateful August night, stepping onto their balcony, they found in the potted plant a single egg. And from this unique find came a mesmerising story spanning 4 years – the story of Pot Plant Owl.

Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 1:00 PM

No pre-registration is necessary.  An admission button is required, which can be purchased at the door.  Programs at Houston Elementary School.

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