Karen Wils photo A barred owl watches its surroundings from a branch.

ESCANABA — The cold wind rattles the last of the autumn leaves.

Frost covers the meadow and snowflakes threaten.

The November Northwoods become a game field for hide and seek. The owl and the mouse carry on an age old ritual.

The owls of autumn are on the prowl in Upper Michigan.

Now that most of the trees are bare and the vegetation has turned brown, the battles between the owls and the mice are easy to see.

“Owling” is the term used by young folks that go out bird watching at night. Twilight in the crispy, cold November woods with warm boots and flashlights can be a real “hoot.”

Several kinds of owls inhabit Upper Michigan. From the huge round-headed owls like the great grey owl and the barred owl to the tiny saw-whets and screech owls, owling can be an awesome adventure. The great horned owl is one of the most popular owls. It has the ear tufts on its head and the big scary, yellow, Halloween eyes.

But owl watching wouldn’t be complete without mouse watching, too.

The deer mouse and the white-footed mouse are busy bodies at this time of the year. They’re stashing and storing every maple seed, sunflower seed, piece of grain, nut or berry.

Tiny feet creep throughout the woodlands and fields. Twitching whiskers and beady, black eyes investigate every nook and cranny. The mouse must find a place to build his winter nest. Shredded and chewed bits of dried leaves, tree bark, paper, milkweed and feathers make good nesting materials for mice.

Mice are not true hibernators, but they do nest together and sleep through the coldest days of winter relying on their stashed food.

It is always interesting to move piles of dried firewood up into the shed or basement for burning. There, between the neat layers of maple, birch or ash, is a fluffy circle of nesting material. Mice love woodpiles.

In November, the mice will move into anything with the slightest opening like the woodshed, outhouse, sauna or tool shed.

The owl hunts with silent wings. Like a gray ghost he can maneuver between the trees. He can sit quietly watching and waiting at the edge of the corn field.

The mouse is mighty because of his numbers. There are lots of them after a summer of much reproduction.

So let the competition begin. Nothing is as beautiful as the predator and prey relationship. Play hide and seek until there is a perfect balance of nature.

And then nestle down for chilly November night.

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Karen (Rose) Wils is a lifelong north Escanaba resident. Her folksy columns appear weekly in Lifestyles.