The Smithberg family of Clinton always had the feeling they themselves were being watched as they observed the activities of the great horned owl couple nesting in the trees by their home. It is difficult to tell what an owl is thinking, they said, and when a great horned owl fixes those enormous yellow eyes on you — you feel looked at.

Wendy and Michael Smithberg and their children, Garrett, 9, and Lindsay, 7, became familiar with the pattern of hoots and the individual sounds of the adults. They watched the young ones hatch and heard their catlike meows. They did their owl research and came to appreciate, respect and love the great horned owls.

Then last spring tragedy struck. The Smithbergs had been watching with interest the daily efforts of the owl parents to teach their three young ones to fly and the struggles of the youngsters.

One morning during the daily owl flight training program, one of the owlets crashed to the ground in front of the house. It could barely move and was obviously in trouble.

Wendy Smithberg was home alone and witnessed the accident. She wrapped the young bird in a towel, got in the car with it, and headed for veterinarian David Parent of Freeland.

“The owl didn’t struggle, but stared fixedly at me with those huge yellow eyes while I drove. It was a strange feeling,” she said.

The young owl died while Parent was holding it. The diagnosis was starvation: The owlet had not been able to fly well enough to hunt and catch food during the time the owl parents cut back on feeding to encourage their offspring to learn to fly and hunt.

The Smithberg family was heartbroken. It was difficult for Garrett and Lindsay especially to understand the death. Their parents tried to provide sensitive explanations and answer the children’s questions.

But when Lindsay asked, “Can we keep the owl?” and Garrett added, “Yes, can we? I want to take the owl to school and show the other kids,” their parents had to answer, “We’re not sure about that.”

Wendy and Michael Smithberg did, however, give the request serious thought. They decided that if that was what the kids wanted, they would look into the possibility of preserving the owl and then donating it to South Whidbey Intermediate School, where Garrett is a student.

Their efforts started with the discovery of Matt Klope, an expert taxidermist in Coupeville, who has done work for both the Smithsonian Institute and the Seattle Museum of Natural History.

Klope told the Smithbergs he would be happy to preserve the owl, that it would be a privilege. He was particularly delighted because the young owl still had some down on its chest and legs and, though there was only the beginnings of “horns,” he had a good growth of feathers.

But Klope said he could not touch the owl and the school could not accept the donation until necessary permits had cleared through the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

“Great horned owls are not on the endangered list, but they are considered in a migratory bird category so it is illegal to hunt, trap, harass them, hold them in a cage or as a pet,” Michael Smithberg explained. “It took us over four months to process the forms, and that included my phoning frequently to keep the process moving.”

Wendy Smithberg said the experience has fostered in the children an increased curiosity and an interest in learning.

“We’ve all done our research and have gained a much greater appreciation for the owls as well as nature and her creatures,” she said. Garrett and Lindsay have a collection of the regurgitated pellets they’ve found on the ground near the nesting spots, containing bits and pieces of animals the owls have eaten. They included some of these in their donation to the school.

When the beautifully preserved owl was returned to the Smithbergs, community interest began to grow as they proudly showed it to many of their friends and spoke of giving it to the school. James Dunn, owner of Critters and Company pet store, offered to donate a glass case.

“It was something I wanted to do,” Dunn said. “My daughter is in the Intermediate School. It will be a rare opportunity for the kids to see a great horned owl up close and learn about it.”

When Linds Jewelry had a look at the owl and heard about it going to the school, the Linds offered to furnish a plaque with the Smithbergs’ names engraved on it.

And Doug Hale, Intermediate School principal, is pleased to have the owl.

“It will be a wonderful educational model for many of our teachers. After all, owls have a home in our literature as well as in nature,” Hale said.

A neighbor of the Smithbergs expressed the feelings of many: “It’s good to know the owl has a permanent home and that new generations will learn about great horned owls and other owls as well.”