While biking home from a couple errands, I came across a car stopped in the middle of a nearby neighborhood road. The driver and passenger were standing in front of the stopped car casting long shadows from the headlights.

There in the middle of this Royal Oak road was an Eastern Screech Owl.

Unfortunately my phone camera does not take better pictures in low-light situations. A better picture would show him staring at me.

The group of neighbors came out and we finally got a wildlife expert on the phone. They advised we prod the little owl (perhaps a baby) in a box while wearing heavy-duty gardening gloves.

Once in the box, he flew out and landed in the middle of another street.

On the second attempt, he got in the box and moved out of harms way.

I did thank the driver for being alert and stopping without hitting the owl. Many of the drivers in this neighborhood and throughout the region are in their own world when in their car — making no plans for any unexpected encounters like this.

We even saw that first hand while trying to get him in a box as one car accelerated towards us as we stood in the road with the owl.

Once while driving in Royal Oak a large white English sheepdog slowly walked into the street. I stopped and watched as the opposing traffic did not.  I flashed my headlights. Never once did the other car’s nose dip to indicate any braking before they hit and killed the dog.

Thankfully our baby owl should fare better.