HOUSTON, Minn. – The International Festival of Owls, a fixture in Houston dating to 2003, opens this weekend with a truncated schedule. Karla Bloem, director of the International Owl Center in Houston, said the avian flu forced cancellation of a visit by the Illinois Raptor Center, which usually brings live owls. Visitors, however can see resident owls, including Piper, a barn owl who, said Bloem, may even show you the eggs she’s sitting on, There will be none of the usually scheduled programs because of rapidly increasing CoVid. Also, photo sessions have been cancelled. Nor will there be owl prowls. Other events begin at 9 a.m., Saturday, and 10 a.m., Sunday.
Hoot, hooting silently. Owls are roosting quietly amid April umbrellas on an oak at Kelly and Mike Beckman’s place on Highway 16 east of Houston. The decoys are a roadside nod to the International Festival of Owls down the way in Houston.