Christmas stowaways
OWL IN A CHRISTMAS TREE
The Newman family from the US state of Georgia were decorating their Christmas tree when they were surprised to find a small owl roosting among the baubles and branches. Katie McBride Newman told CNN that her daughter India, 10, was the first to spot the stowaway bird one evening after dinner. “She comes very dramatically into the dining room and goes, ‘Mama, that ornament scared me’”, said the mother of two. “Then she bursts into tears”. Ms Newman, an owl enthusiast, had placed several owl decorations in the large, 10ft (3m) tree, so she assumed one of these had alarmed her daughter. However, upon checking, she realised it was an actual owl when it swivelled its head round to look at her as she approached.
The family opened windows in efforts to encourage the bird to depart, but next morning it was still perched in the fir. Eventually, staff from a local wildlife centre were able to capture the owl, which they identified as an Eastern screech owl, common in Georgia. They remarked that the bird was quite thin, suggesting it may have been hiding in the fir tree since the family bought it back in November. After checking for injuries and feeding it, the family waited until dark when they took the owl into a nearby forest and released it.
Regular updates about the strigine saga were posted on Mrs Newman’s Facebook page, with the owl and its host family gaining a loyal following on social media. A final Facebook post bore Mrs Newman’s tribute to the Christmas owl: “Thank you for the honor you bestowed on our family – for making the magic & mystery of Advent come alive in our home, and for inspiring connection among all who followed the adventure. God’s peace to you as you make your new home outside our home. We hope to see you again. . . And to all a good night”. independent.co.uk, 20 Dec 2019.
FESTIVE PYTHON
In December 2019, Queensland resident and British ex-pat Leanne Chapman found a 10ft (3m) python adorning her Christmas tree, on the balcony of her Brisbane apartment. The snake stayed in the tree for around five hours before slithering off. “It was a bit of a shock to begin with,” she said. “You don’t really expect to see a snake in your Christmas tree” – but after their initial surprise, Ms Chapman and her partner let the scaly reptile stay there until it departed around 10.30pm. “It was actually quite nice to see it that close up”, she said, “because I’ve never seen anything like it before”. 7news.com.au, upi.com, 13 Dec 2019.