I learned from a friend this morning that today is International Owl Awareness Day. I didn’t know such a thing existed but as I have a special affinity for Owls I decided to honour them with this post.

I’m a very spiritual person and have a deep connection to nature. I usually trust my gut instincts on any situation, but occasionally I can’t get a clear indication on what to do and will then ask for a sign from the Universe to show me direction.

For many years my sign has been Owls (specifically Tawny Owls but any Owl species will do!). You don’t randomly see them in the daytime as most are nocturnal and this means that if I do see or hear them in the daytime (apart from those places I’m expecting to see them, eg in a known roost) it’s unusual. I know you’ll probably all think I’m nuts – no change there then 😉

Each year I visit a bird of prey conservation centre, which has a wide variety of Owl species, and I made my annual trip a few weeks ago. It’s one of my favourite days of the year and as always I sat mesmerised as these magnificent creatures flew around my head.

If someone had told me in my twenties that I would become a bird watcher I would have said “shoot me now and put me out of my misery!” but these days I can spend hours simply watching the birds to-ing and fro-ing in my garden and become ridiculously excited when I spot a Heron or Curlew in the meadow behind my house or an Egret or Kingfisher on the local river. There is an entire world going on all around us that we have no part in and I find it captivating.

I think many of us wonder what it would be like to fly. To be carried by thermal currants and have the freedom to dance in the sky. What a wondrous thing nature is in all its diversity and, as always, I am so thankful that I get to live surrounded by its magnificence, which brings me peace, feeds my soul and in which I find unceasing joy.