While pulling weeds in my front yard yesterday I was pleased to discover this odd little lump. The roughly 2” long bundle of fur and bones immediately transported me back to 3rd grade…

We were learning about Great Horned Owls as part of our science and biology curriculum. Unlike raptors that tear their meals apart, big owls tend to swallow their food whole.

In order to learn about their place in the ecosystem, my teacher, Mrs. Hernbrode, brought in owl pellets for us to dissect (cast pellets are little balls of non-digestible parts that the owls cough up after eating).

Our task was to gently extricate all the bones and carefully reassemble the skeleton so we could identify the prey animal. Most of the girls in my class were grossed out, but the guys and I dug right in (newsflash, I was a bit of a tomboy – riding horses, climbing trees, and playing in the dirt were my main hobbies). In other words, I was an eager pellet detective!

I had always been fascinated by nature and wildlife, but I credit Mrs. H for encouraging my curiosity. That curiosity guided me through college and has led me to some incredible places over the years. For that, and other reasons, Mrs. H remains my absolute favorite elementary school teacher.

So imagine my excitement when we crossed paths again, some 30 years later. She had moved to Portal, a small town nestled in the heart of the Chiricahua Mountains of Southern Arizona (where my parents had moved decades earlier). I recognized her immediately and was touched when she remembered me (out of all those students over the years).

Finding this pellet pleases me because it’s a sign that my yard is welcoming to wildlife. In her honor, I’m naming the pair of Great Horned Owls in my neighborhood the Hernbrodes. As for the pellet, I’m still debating whether or not to dissect it…