Stolen Beauty ~ Photo Essay [rant]
Warning: This post is not typical. This is a rant and contains images that may be disturbing.
Have you ever taken time to watch a wild creature?
Have you ever marveled at a bird of prey in the wild?
Have you ever seen silent flight?
Have you ever seen a barred owl in the wild?
Have you ever mowed the grass, disturbing various insects, knowing an owl is watching their every move?
Have you ever ducked when an owl glided over your shoulder at dusk?
Have you ever watched as an owl stealthfully swooped down onto a grasshopper?
Have you ever looked into an owl’s eyes and seen him size you up, and then watch him turn back to eating?
Have you ever raced into the house to grab a camera hoping the whole time this great raptor will still be there when you return?
Have you ever dropped to your belly side by side with your son and shared the experience of watching and photographing such a beautiful creature?
After my morning run, I was walking back home and I found a feather in the road. I always think how cool and feel kinda special to be able to find these on occasion. But then I saw a small clump of feathers in the grass. I caught my breath and thought perhaps a cat had gotten hold of a bird. Then realization struck. These were feathers from a bigger bird, a bird of prey. No cat in its right mind would mess with this bird. As that sunk in, nearly camouflaged in the early morning light, he appeared. Sprawled face down, wings extended in the tall grass. His telons locked tight clutching nothing as if his last fighting, struggling gasp for survival exited from their tips.
Did you see him?
Did you feel him? Most likely not, since he weighs next to nothing.
Did you see the potential prey scurry off to live another day?
Did you watch with pain in your heart as he flailed in the ditch?
Did you ever consider slowing down?
What was so important that you needed to speed through the night?
Was it something truly important, something life-changing that called for immediate attention?
Or was it dinner, or a your favorite TV show and a beer that made you race down the road?
Did you see him flash in front of your headlights?
Were you too busy on the phone or simply too ignorant to realize what you had done?
Did you stop to go back and see what happened?
What would you have done if it was a child that ran out in front of you?
Did the whole incident bother you at all?
Did you see me this morning photographing this scene?
Were you in one of the cars that curiously slowed as I worked?
Or were you among the majority that mindlessly sped passed in the apparent mandatory rush to work?
At first I was shocked to find this beautiful creature so carelessly dead on the side of the road. Then I was pissed. I said and thought foul things about the apparent caveliar heartless ass who knowingly or not, did this. As the anger welled up in me, I knew I had to share this somehow, someway.
I needed to photograph this scene, this bird, perhaps the same bird that I was so blessed to have been able to photograph in my front yard with my son. When I remembered those images, I immediately understood the power of the juxtapositioning of those images with the ones I was about to create.
Could this have been avoided? Probably not. Could I or you have done the same thing? Yes. Does that make this any less sad or frustrating? No.
I’m no political activitist by any means. I’m not looking for some mindless bloated government agency to solve this problem. That’s no solution. I understand fully that we need to coexist with all the life on earth and unfortunately this means things will happen. Interactions and incidents, whether planned and expected or random and unpredictable are going to occur.
I expect something like this to happen on a busy highway with speeding walls of cars or in a crowded chaotic city. But in our community, on our quiet little street where the speed limit is 35 m.p.h. I hate that this happens. This happens from carelessness and neglect. From it’s-ok-to-go-a-little-faster-nobody-is-around thinking, this is what happens.
As a photographer I’m always looking for beautiful things to photograph and share with people. The world is filled with so many beautiful things. This wonderful barred owl was one of them. Is one of them. I’ve photographed him (or one of his family) flying, feeding, and alive in the wild. Despite the life being removed from him, he is still beautiful. And because of that I will continue to photograph and share him with you. Even dead he is beautiful.
Perhaps in this state, the state of death, he won’t be taken for granted. Perhaps these photos will resonate and last a bit longer. Perhaps the mouse won’t simply click to see the next pretty picture and drift along mindlessly, half-heartedly, barely feeling anything. NO! This is beauty that is now gone, dead. Appreciate it, hate it, love it, it does not matter. It’s gone.
We are all part of this world. Doesn’t it make sense for us to work a bit harder to understand, connect, and appreciate everything inside this spherical bubble we all share?
Slow down a bit today, and every day. Drive a little slower. Better yet, just stop, stand or sit still, and look around, listen. There is so much beauty around waiting to be discovered. There is no device or app needed. No update or subscription required. Instead we simply need to slow down, not our cars, but our lives, our hearts. Look around, photograph it if you’re inspired.
Did you see him?
Did you feel him?
Do you feel him now?
by Kent Weakley
Really great post. Thanks so much for sharing this. It’s very sad, but done with care and taste.
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As sad as the end was I really enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing it your experience and that beautiful bird.
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Beautiful and touching, both text and photos.
//Lars U.
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So sad. He’s gorgeous in life and in death.
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He was truly a gorgeous and noble bird. How sad that carelessness contributed to his death. Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt post.
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This is so painful. I know that these things happen, but it’s tempting to ignore them when they’re out of sight. On the one hand, I’m angry and sad to see this, on what is otherwise such a beautiful morning. On the other hand, people like you who carefully document such happenings remind us that so much work needs to be done. Thank you.
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Powerfully written and he is beautiful even in death…
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Yes Kent, different from your usual postings, but reality. I would feel the same if the owl I have photographed in my back yard was found this way. It was an awesome experience to have taken pictures of such a creature. We love our little oasis just outside of the city (just far enough, yet close enough). We have taken pictures of many creatures who have come through our back yard. Amazed at the creatures who cross our paths.
Great article and photographs.
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Kent, what a poignant and heartbreaking post. I share your sentiments entirely although I admit, I’m less reticent to be political on these issues. I wish I could grow thicker skin, but, unfortunately, it’s wearing more thin as time goes on. I see so much disregard for animals on the road. I rarely see people drive more slowly on country roads where wildlife strikes are common. I don’t often see drivers slow down in response to birds flying across the road, or after seeing a deer or a raccoon cross, knowing there may be other family members or young following behind. I’ve stopped many times to let an animal cross, only to have someone swerve around me to get past — or lay on the horn as I wait for the animal to make it safely to the other side. Sometimes, I know, animals just dart out without much warning. But many times, taking precautions will prevent these awful hits. I hope your post resonates with people who might now hold different view about their time on the road.
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This is a great post. Poor thing, such a beauty.
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Thank you for the comment. I can’t help but think that if a car was going the speed limit here, 35mph, that owl could have avoided it. I’ve watched him fly through thick branches at great speed avoiding everything. It’s more common to see cars going 50-60 mph and faster on our road, than it is to see ones going the speed limit. As a matter of fact, a car going the speed limit or under actually stands out and seems odd, now that I think about it. That combined with headlights possibly and the owl just couldn’t get out of the way. Sigh.
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Oh, it’s not good to cry at work! What a tradgedy Kent. Thank you for the beautiful testimonial to this magnificent bird. I’m so sorry for your loss as well; I can see how much he meant to you. I want to save them all too. All of them. It’s so horrible it had to happen the way it did. Thanks for reminding us all to SLOW DOWN and take it all in – for there is far more to be enjoyed and wondered at than we remember.
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Thanks Sherri. Sorry for making you cry at work.
For some reason your statement of “save them all” made me smile. I can imagine an owl run society where we’re outnumbered 100 to 1 by owls. I think Alfred Hitchcock addressed this in a movie. 
Well, I think with balance, respect, appreciation, and dignity everything works out fine. Maybe not always the way we’d like, but fine.
Thinking about it, the apparent disregard and possibly the fact that nobody even knew this happened. That this magnificent creature was cut down and then just lay there like trash thrown from a passing car. That’s what disturbs me the most.
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The start of this post had me so excited for you and your son. The joy in sharing the fabulous photos you took.
Then my heart sank. The sadness soaked in seeing the equally fabulous (yet so disheartening) photos you took.
Thank you for this post.
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Oh, I see him…I feel him…I miss him. Thank you, Ken, for this post. This was a hard post. I felt it.
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Kent,
powerful article and photographs. They are beautiful creatures and you have done a fantastic job of showing them at their best and hopefully getting a good message out with the tragic end.
Paul.
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Well I will forgive you this time Kent
I DO want to save them all. I know that’s not the way life works, but it’s the way I feel. You are right about the respect, appreciation and dignity. There is just not enough of it these days. Hopefully that will change. I remember “The Birds”, omg!! A blast from the past. I was a kid when I watched it and it scared the bejesus out of me!! I think that is a great idea for a book… an owl run society 
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Thank you, Kent, for sharing a deeply personal experience. So often, there is meaning behind events that we are never privileged enough to know. The experience that one person has may have a profound impact on others. It is the way of the universe. Owls are a symbol of my 19 year old step son who recently passed away. This post has spoken simple, neccesary, emotional truths to me and for that I thank you. I hope that others are as moved in their own, individual ways. You were.
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Thank you Kelley. I’m so sorry for your loss.
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Beautiful pictures, Kent. It’s good that you’re bringing awareness to this issue. I can’t speculate about the mindset of the driver, but at a raptor center that I used to visit in Iowa, the staff told us that, in fact, the owls & hawks cannot see cars coming when they are hunting. The extreme acuity of their long-distance vision comes at the expense of their peripheral vision, which is not as good as ours to begin with, and virtually shuts off when they’ve locked in on their prey. As a result, you don’t have to be a heartless jerk to kill a bird of prey while driving, even at speeds under 35 mph.
However, some of these deaths can be averted by not throwing food products–apple cores, orange peels, unwanted french fries, etc–out the car window. We assume that because something is “natural” or “biodegradable” that it won’t have an impact on the environment, but it does. In this case, the waste attracts prey like mice, which attracts the raptors, who find roadsides to be some of their best hunting grounds. We don’t know that this was the cause of this poor owl’s death, but there is at least one small thing that everyone can do to reduce the number of raptor deaths–don’t ever throw anything out of the car window.
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Hey Denise,
How are you? Hope all is well. Thanks for your input. These are great points that add to this story. OK, and maybe I have a separate rant about people speeding down our street. I haven’t figured out an interesting way or reason to put that on my photo blog.
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I thought of another thing for your readers–the main thing that the raptor center does is to rehab injured birds and release them (or keep them if the bird can’t go back to the wild), so they encouraged us all to have the number of the nearest raptor center in our cars in case we ever did hit one. Veterinarians don’t necessarily know about these resources. Maybe there is one of them in Florida…if not, getting one started sounds like a good project for concerned citizens like you! Hugs to you & the rest of the family, hope you’re doing well too! Here’s the link to MacBride: http://www.macbrideraptorproject.org/brochure_material.htm
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This has broken my heart. Your writing is powerful, also.
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