Great Horned Owl - Tiger of the Woods

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum  : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae
Genus : Bubo
Scientific name : Bubo virginianus
Protection status : Least Concern
Diet : Owls are carnivores
Habitat : Forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Life span : 5 to 15 years

The Great Horned Owls are the largest owls in North America. They are also referred to as Cat Owls. They are nocturnal hunters. They can be easily identified by their large piercing eyes and their horn shaped ears.

These predatory birds are fearless and aggressive by nature and frequently attack prey that are large and heavy, including cats, rabbits, porcupines and even skunks. If their nesting areas are threatened, these birds will counterattack even when they are faced with large dogs or even humans. The male owls are smaller than their female counterparts and have a much lower-pitched call.

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Photo and Video were taken at Maymont Park, Virginia.

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Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes

Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes 

Considered by many to be the definitive Sherlock Holmes, Jeremy Brett needs no introduction to his legion of fans. For the uninitiated, Brett played Sherlock Holmes in the acclaimed Granada TV series (1984 – 1994).

Brett presented a considerably dark version of the character. Unfortunately, Brett suffered from physical tribulations and his performances in the later episodes were markedly different. It was painfully obvious that his work had become an all-consuming obsession. Brett continued to play Sherlock Holmes before his untimely demise in 1995.

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His work is nicely complemented by Edward Hardwicke (who replaced David Burke after the first 13 episodes) as Dr Watson. A refreshing feature of this adaptation is that Dr Watson is portrayed as a competent doctor (as described in the canon). The Granada TV adaptation stands right along with the Russian adaptation in making this right choice of portraying Dr Watson and both these series are my perennial favorites.

The Holmes brothers

Charles Gray is a charming Mycroft Holmes, every bit the superior of Sherlock in the powers of observation and deduction.

Eric Porter makes a good Moriarty. We can believe this version of Moriarty to be the criminal mastermind, worthy of being the archenemy of Sherlock.

Supporting cast include Rosalie Williams as Mrs Hudson and Colin Jeavons as Inspector Lestrade. Both the actors are well cast and leave their imprints on their characters.

In total, 41 out of the 60 works by Sir Doyle were adapted and barring a few episodes, most of them are loyal to the canon. The sets and the locations are strikingly similar to the stories. The cast and crew have put in their best to create one of the best adaptations of the world’s foremost fictional consulting detective.

Click here to read all my posts about the Granada adaptation.

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Image Source: Bending the Willow: Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes by David Stuart Davies

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