Impression Evergreen

Verreaux's Eagle-Owl Another legendary creature, this one lives in the dry savanna and open woodlands of South Africa. The Verreaux's eagle-owl is considered a proxy for witches and sorcerers. The arrival of an eagle-owl at one's homestead is viewed by the superstitious as a bad omen. Many people in the rural communities put spikes on the roofs of their homes to prevent owls from landing on them at night. In this part of the world, it's a well known fact that if an eagle-owl takes up residence in an urban setting, the local, domestic cat population will become decimated. The Verreaux's is the largest owl in Africa and it's distinguished by noticeable pink eyelids. In a land teeming with formidable predators, this winged giant is absolutely lethal. Despite it's massive size, the eagle-owl is remarkably agile. It's perfectly capable of taking small birds on the wing and it's been seen wading through water snagging fish. These robust birds of pr

"Great Horned Owl" Colored Pencil It's dusk and a great horned owl is positioned on a broken post near the forest's edge. Motionless, it waits patiently for the reemergence of its subterranean prey, the meadow vole. In the background a full moon has risen above the blue, volcanic-shaped peaks. The heavily built owl is mostly brown with vivid striping across the pale chest. The facial disc encompasses large, yellow eyes and a pointed beak. Powerful, black talons grasp the wooden perch. The large ear tufts are neither horns nor ears they're just feathers that form the most distinctive feature of this fierce predator. According to one author, "Almost any living creature that walks, crawls, flies or swims, except the large mammals, is the great horned owl's legitimate prey". Its preferred food source is small to medium-sized, nocturnal mammals such as rabbits, shrews, mice and voles but it has the power to predate much larger fauna like porcupines