The Little Peruvian Stone Owl, Strix lapidis peru, is an extremely small bird, roughly the size of a hummingbird, characterized by its pale grey color and its large yellow eyes. Its geographic range is not well known or documented (though the individual observed and pictured here does bear a cryptic pattern on the bottom of its feet that looks very much like the country name “Peru”), nor are its diet, breeding cycle, or just about anything else connected to its existence. In fact, only one thing is known about it – it possesses the unique power among all birds to cause the heart of a middle-aged, long bearded, often slightly grumpy naturalist to instantly and entirely melt when passed to him from the hand of a seven year old girl.
Our daughter, upon returning from a class field trip to The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals, looking extremely tired from the hours of fun she had on the trip with her classmates and her Uncle Larry (himself an ardent amateur rock hound) as a chaperone, produced the Little Peruvian Stone Owl from her pocket and handed it to me as a gift. Of her own free will she bought it for me because it was a bird and she thought of me when she saw it. It is without question one of the most wonderful gifts I have ever received.
The fact that she bought me a gift is touching entirely in itself, but it was the choice of the gift that has me so enraptured by it. Many, if not most, people wonder if their children will ever truly understand them just as much as they wonder themselves if they will ever truly understand their children. In truth, this is a universal question; existential, if you will. Understanding is one of the ultimate connections between people – to understand and to be understood. It is the very foundation of love, family, and friendship. With this one simple action, I have been told unambiguously by our daughter that she understands me in a way that I also understand myself. I could not possibly ask for anything more.
Peace and good bird watching.
