Animal Monster Bird Squawk Dinosaur Creature

So it's hot here. But the evenings have been nice. So we've been leaving the windows open at night to let all the horrid, stuffy air out and the glorious, breezy night air in.


So that we can sleep comfortably.


Except there is an Animal Monster Bird Squawk Dinosaur Creature living in a tree right outside my house. Squawking for its life. All. Night. Long. 


Which makes sleeping a challenge. 


We really thought there were more than one. And they were possibly a family of pterodactyls taking back the earth. 


It was quite a ruckus. 


Last night, we'd had enough of the squawking and decided to figure out the the fuck this Animal Monster Bird Squawk Dinosaur Creature was. 


This is where Google comes into play. 


And where Google fails. 


Miserably. 


We couldn't figure it out. Of course it's night so we couldn't see the damn thing, so we googled nocturnal birds and their bird songs. 


Nothing fit. 


We tried message boards. Nothing seemed to fit just what our bird was. 


We thought maybe a Screech Owl, but it turns out they don't really screech; they kind of trill. Which makes you wonder who gets to be in charge of naming birds and what medication they were on. 


We finally thought a flock of wild parrots, because parrots have a bit of a squawk and they really thrive in Southern California. But they're not nocturnal, according to the Internet. Which is allknowing. 


Then we found this clip. Which is EXACTLY what out creature sounded like when we were desperately trying to sleep.

So it was settled. We have an Animal Monster Bird Squawk Dinosaur Creature.


Awesome.


Tonight our creature was screeching up a storm so we dug through my array of packed and unpacked crap to find a flashlight and see the damn thing. We could barely see it up atop a telephone pole.


Turns out? It was an owl. Just like this:

I'm kind of disappointed. I was hoping it was a dinosaur. 

Even though I like owls. They're beautiful birds. When they're not screeching outside my window. 

Now, will knowing what it is help me sleep any better? 

Whatever. Only 4 more nights in this house anyway. 

UPDATE: We discovered that it's actually a whole family of owls! We saw two of the babies last night, looking oh so cute, but loud.

Photo of the Day: Pretty Bird

This is my friend Morgan's cockatiel Puja. Last weekend, Morgan was out of town so I bird-sat. She also has a little parakeet named Leon (but Leon is shy). The last day, I arrived at her apartment after work and Puj was inexplicably out of his cage and squawking like the place was on fire. I have no clue how he got out (though I had some ideas), but I fed and him (who knows how long he was stuck out of his cage without food and water?) and let him roam around a bit.

It should be noted the Puja tolerates me. I'm cool. I whistle with him. But I am NOT his momma. No sir. Not even close. But this day, I guess I'd rescued him, because he made his way across his cage, down Leon's cage, down to Morgan's bed, up my leg, and then perched on my knee. And then he whistled at me. I felt very privileged. It was quite the moment for the two of us. Isn't he a pretty bird?

Until a half hour later and I wanted to put him back in his cage. Then he was not happy with me. Not happy at all.