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Magical encounters with tawnies, barn owls and more
Friday 20th February 2026
Ten Poems about Owls
Owls are birds that fascinate us, seeming to exist at the shadowy margins of our human lives. More often heard than seen, their nocturnal cries can be both haunting and exhilarating.
These ten poems celebrate the elusiveness of owls, as well as the thrill of a rare sighting; when a little owl is spotted on the branch of an olive tree in Greece, it looks more like a “small clay jar” than a bird. In another poem, the near-silent flight of a barn owl offers a moment of spellbound intimacy.
The poems remind us that an encounter with any wild creature is a gift – and that meeting an owl in a poem can be every bit as magical as meeting one in the woods.