Editor:
About two weeks ago, I was in disbelief when one of my best friends told me that when she had gone for a walk that evening around 7:30 p.m. near the Ladner Library, an owl stole her rainbow toque off of her head.
She recounted that she had felt a hard smack on the back of her head and was scared when she turned around and there was nobody behind her. As she looked up, she saw a large bird flying away with her toque in its talons.
As if that story isn't strange enough, again the next morning when she was up early on her way to the bus stop, also in the Delta Secondary area, she felt the same smack on the back of her head and the owl flew off, this time, with the purple toque she had been wearing.
The bird then sat on the power line whilst my friend threw rocks at it in an attempt to get her toque back, but the owl soon disappeared. As if taunting her, the bird then reappeared when she reached the bus stop, still carrying her toque!
Now, like I said, I had a hard time believing this as I had never before heard of a bird attacking a human unless provoked - especially in the streets of Ladner. Yet this past Monday night, whilst I was jogging on 45th Avenue, I felt a hard smack and sharp claw on the back of my head.
I screamed out of shock. After whipping around and seeing there was nobody behind me, I realized it must have been that owl. Before I could do anything, the owl came down on me again, grabbing at top of my head.
I was still a distance from home and had no phone with me, so my first thought was to flag down a car. Luckily, a truck slowed down and as I was trying to explain to the driver what had just happened, the owl swooped down for a third time and attacked my head yet again.
I'd like to extend thanks to the man who was kind enough to drive me to a nearby friend's house and my friend and I wish to advise others who frequent the part of Ladner I described in the early morning or at night to be wary and always carry a cellphone.
I never would have thought this would be the type of danger I would have to be careful of outside at night, but apparently, you never know when a large bird of prey may decide you look like dinner.
Nyssa Lessingham
