Owl Sighting

mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast · Feb 19, 2017

I went to West Virginia this weekend to get away for a couple days. I normally go to perform hard labor, but went to relax this weekend. I watched a couple of my favorite movies (The Night of the Iguana and Wild Guitar), ate at my favorite restaurant (Muriales), had a great bowl of Capstan on the way home from dinner, etc, etc...
The best part of the weekend was walking in the woods up on the hill and seeing a barred owl. He put on a show Saturday and let me look at him for a good 15 minutes. I went back up this morning and he was in the same spot flying around. I really like owls and don't see them often. Does anyone else get excited when they see an owl?

ashdigger · Feb 19, 2017

I totally dig owls. They are masters of stealth and hunting. I came across a great horned owl in Wyoming and was just amazed at how big it was. The funny part was he was giving us no quarter. We actually had to move off the trail because it started fluffing itself up and dropping it's head. The fishing guide told us that it was challenging us. We agreed and moved out of his path. After seeing how big his talons were, up close, we wanted nothing to do with that.

jpmcwjr · Feb 19, 2017

Sure do. But I hear them a fair amount, just the sighting are rare. They help keep my almond orchard's pests down a bit.

tinsel · Feb 19, 2017

I hear them regularly but rarely see them.
Last fall, I was sitting in a deer blind during muzzle loader season (october). Didn't see a single deer that day as it was unusually warm for october around here, but was lucky enough to actually spot 2 male Barred Owls fighting (presumably for territory). Went on for about 5 minutes, incredible sight.

lestrout · Feb 19, 2017

Owls are indeed impressive to see. I hear them frequently at home or while ffishing. When they show up, I know I'm doing a good job of fitting into the environment. The big ones have huge wingspans and they are completely silent in flight. When one soars up behind me and into a tree, I'm reminded of scenes from a Batman movie.
hp

les

huntertrw · Feb 19, 2017

Who?

pagan · Feb 19, 2017

Ther's an old superstition that when you see an owl someone close will die, jut saying

huntertrw · Feb 19, 2017

Owl Sighting!

ashdigger · Feb 19, 2017

https://youtu.be/eSxy06GgE5M

stickframer · Feb 19, 2017

Does anyone else get excited when they see an owl?

Oh yeah. I've moved out of the big city to a smaller town recently. Anyway, I've heard an owl in the neighbourhood for a while now. Finally saw it, twice recently...smaller snowy owl.
The first sighting it was flying through my backyard, second one it was perched on a telephone pole 40ft from my deck. It finally swooped off. Both times the silence of its flight astounded me.

mso489 · Feb 19, 2017

Had a hoot owl in the ravine across the street (actually a creek bed that's often dry). While it was there, I enjoyed its hoot every time I heard it. Excellent. Not all owls hoot. You can call in screech owls but have to quit before they dive bomb with those powerful talons, thinking you're a rival owl. Horned owls are called the tigers of the air and have been known to displace eagles from their nests. They're just born combative. Many of us have probably seen crows in a flock pestering an owl that is hunting in the area, but that's brave duty. Owls will eat small pets, kittens and such. Most raptors won't mess with a full grown cat of any size because they can't risk the injury.

tbradsim1 · Feb 19, 2017

I was on the smoking bench at Exxon finishing off the Dog. In pulled a crew member with his truck. I did a double take, in the grill was a mass of feathers flopping around. I went closer and it was a big owl trapped in the grille. The driver of the truck Rodney came over and he said so that was the noise I heard, as he went to pull him out with his hands I yelled No Rodney, the owl grabbed him and it was comical thinking about it later on, but then those talons were were eating Rodney up. I ran to the smoking bench and picked up an ash tray that was on a heavy rod, about 3.5 ft tall, ran back and beat the owl off. Ridney suffered deep gashes, those talons are wicked. Later on I would do the Owl dance for Rodney to his chagrin. :laughat:

pagan · Feb 19, 2017

This is interesting
http://www.pauldfrost.co.uk/intro_o2.html

ashdigger · Feb 19, 2017

Brad, :rofl:

didimauw · Feb 19, 2017

I have only seen an owl one time in daylight. He was just sitting on the side of the road. Backed up to look at him for a while. The other time was at night I think I had one swoop down in front of my jeep while I was driving. It was massive, it had to be an owl. Beautiful creatures, and a rarity to see around these parts.

woodsroad · Feb 19, 2017

We had a screech owl living in an old maple tree outside our house for an entire winter. We could look out the second floor window and see it, only 15 feet away, poke it's head out from a cavity in the tree where a branch had broken off years earlier. We'd spend a few minutes every day watching the owl peruse the backyard, looking for prey, and surreptitiously diving out of the crag to nail a tasty morsel on the hoof. By Spring, we were outside a lot more and Mr. Owl wanted nothing to do with us, and moved to quieter quarters. I will say that we had no mice in the house that winter.

mso489 · Feb 19, 2017

Wow, that's an ugly thought! Good that you were there with the ash tray as a club. I'm not sure how it works, but in some respect when the talons close, they lock, or at least, they don't release unless the bird consciously makes them open. I guess that's so they don't have to think about it when they are holding prey in flight. The idea of getting into raptor talons and beaks is pretty lurid. They're designed to parcel out flesh. Glad Rodney kept his hands and fingers. The owl dance indeed. I've never figured out why birds swoop down in front of vehicles, which they seem to do a lot, usually missing the impact.

derfatdutchman · Feb 19, 2017

Always liked owls. The neatest owl sighting I had was several winters ago a Snowy Owl took up residence near a large field close to my house. We are not in the normal territory for the Snowy Owl, lots of people came out to watch him during his visit.

brian64 · Feb 19, 2017

The Owls are not what they seem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCf-oiIbVnw

mso489 · Feb 19, 2017

I guess it's appropriate to mention that raptors are elaborately protected as species. You can't even gather bones or feathers, much less living rescue animals, without endless permitting and paperwork. Sadly, I think this legislative over reach is probably needed to keep these birds from getting hunted and harvested into extinction. Special dispensation is offered Indian tribes for ceremonial purposes with eagle feathers and similar items.
Not raptors, but along these lines, my wife's cousin who raises beef cattle shot and had mounted a bobcat that "resides" in his living room. This was a legal kill, to keep the cats from killing the calves. Some farmers will mow and otherwise tractor around bobcat nests because they are so combative. You don't want one of these gals climbing up your tractor and up your jeans leg. They're about 30/40 pounds, all teeth and claws.

Owl Sighting

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