It was a cold night, and the house was locked up tight. Yet, the call of this owl woke me at 3 am – as loud as if I had the windows open. I lay there and listened for five minutes or so and when sleep eluded me, I opened a window and recorded the sound. Just as I talked myself into going outside to see if I could spot him, silence reigned.

The period between the calls is shortened – it was 30 to 50 seconds between calls. A wonderous way to wake.