An Open Letter

Dear Short-eared Owls,

Three hundred and fifty-three days ago, we set forth on a journey of exploration and discovery, one that would take us thousands of miles to all four corners of this beautiful country and beyond. Twelve months were allotted for the quest, and merely eleven days remain.

This journey was predicated upon a desire to see and experience as many of you and your brethren as we could. And, the outcome to date has surpassed even our lofty expectations for the year, from the variety of your kind that we have seen, to the breadth of experiences and appreciation for the natural world that we have gained.

That is to say, we're not complaining about anything.

However.

Never did we expect to have such great difficulty finding you, a bird that lives in many locales within a mere hour of our home. And, as you probably know, we've now made six different attempts to see you, and you've remained hidden every time.

This brings me to the point of my letter:

Stop hiding, dammit! Err, I mean to say, please stop hiding, friends!

We are stuck on 688 birds for this year, and would really like to get to the round number of 690. And you represent 50% of our remaining targets. So, just make yourselves a little more visible, OK? We promise to be quiet and respectful, so just give us one little look and then we'll stop bothering you.

Respectfully and sincerely,
Me