The other ladies are a bit rattled, but otherwise OK. Egg production is down, but picking up again. We found a small breach at the base of the coop, a place where a single strand of wire had rusted out. We can’t tell what happened for sure, but Jessica may have had her head stuck outside, or something small and agile may have come in. It’s tough to be a chicken.

For any of you who don’t know me, I am not heartless. I am sad she died, but if you keep chickens you have to put up a barrier, a clinical approach to death. They are my pets, but they die frequently and in unpleasant, messy ways. I’ve had exactly one chicken die of old age, poor old Larry, who was actually senile.

Silver linings: I only lost one. The others will benefit from more run space. She lived a relatively long chicken life. I found the hole and patched it.

If I am 100% diligent, and keep my birds within the run at all times, they should escape Mariposa’s talons. More likely, I will get overconfident, let them have the run of the backyard (I’m supervising, I will tell myself). Then I will get thirsty, head to the kitchen to get a cold one, and Mariposa will seize her opportunity. “Silly Stasia, owls only hunt at night,” you think. Not true. Barred Owls have been known to hunt during the day, especially near dusk. Last year, at about 6 p.m., a Barred Owl landed about 50 feet from Scott and grabbed a big old snake off the ground. And yes, we live in the suburbs.

You can learn more about Barred Owls at the sites I list below.

• Not a whole lot of info here, but I feel obligated to list Cornell’s site because my sis goes here.
• Good info at OwlPages.com
• Great audio recordings from Owling.com
• I am disappointed to report that the “virtual owl pellet dissection” app on KidPages.com, while brilliant in theory, doesn’t work. So, you’ll have to go out and fetch some real poop.