Last year, my neighbours and I up at the cottage had three juvenile barred owls following their parent(s) around the middle sections of our properties, hissing and basically whining and begging for food. Made them and the parent eas(ier) to spot.
Unfortunately, this year some ravens set up a nest between us and that seems to have forced all the owls to hunt generally in the park or out along the nearby farms.
Those guys are great, if you get to actually spot one swooping down in absolute silence to catch a snake or some other poor unsuspecting creature. Completely silent, still, camouflaged to hell against the tree bark, and very, very patient.
Can't imagine a poor owl who's basically lost his overwhelmingly strongest sense.
A few years ago, my dearly departed dad and I were driving through residential Duluth, MN, when we spotted a massive Great Horned Owl perched atop a street light in broad daylight. I had never seen one in real life before and was surprised at just how massive it was. Beautiful animals.
I was at the Denver Zoo years ago, where a Snowy Owl family was on display in a cage outdoors. We saw a keeper arrive with a Ziplock bag of dead mice and a broom. "A broom?" we wondered, until he went in and the mother owl came at him like, uh, well, I can't really say "like a bat out of hell" here, can I?
Anyway, the keeper fended her off with broom and started pitching the mice to her and the fledglings, or maybe just to Mama so she could dismember them for the Youngs.
Not too crazy about zoos anymore for all the obvious reasons, but it was a beautiful thing to see.
Oh absolutely. One thing I love about spending time out on the gulf islands is the lack of light pollution, from either Vancouver BC or Bellingham, WA. Even a quarter moon will give you enough light to go for a walk… maybe not into/through the woods, but certainly pop along to the shoreline for a night time stroll and maybe enjoy a cigar (or a beer, if you're into that sort of thing, but remember "pack in pack out").
Plus, the occasional bit of bioluminescence if you're lucky.
But yes our little island does have a lovely escarpment (southwards facing) which might help with some unobstructed stargazing.
Just as good I think would be the hump of Orca Island on the San Juan/US side of the archipelago – or just a visit to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, which is breathtaking anyway – plus you wouldn't need a passport
Zeus is blind, but can fly. Amazing.
Apparently that's not him in the GIF, which is also wonderful.
This post was really just an excuse to use that gif, which smokey sent me earlier today. Cute owls!
Last year, my neighbours and I up at the cottage had three juvenile barred owls following their parent(s) around the middle sections of our properties, hissing and basically whining and begging for food. Made them and the parent eas(ier) to spot.
Unfortunately, this year some ravens set up a nest between us and that seems to have forced all the owls to hunt generally in the park or out along the nearby farms.
Those guys are great, if you get to actually spot one swooping down in absolute silence to catch a snake or some other poor unsuspecting creature. Completely silent, still, camouflaged to hell against the tree bark, and very, very patient.
Can't imagine a poor owl who's basically lost his overwhelmingly strongest sense.
A few years ago, my dearly departed dad and I were driving through residential Duluth, MN, when we spotted a massive Great Horned Owl perched atop a street light in broad daylight. I had never seen one in real life before and was surprised at just how massive it was. Beautiful animals.
TBH I'm more of a bat person, but Mmm yes nice and fat and round.
<img src="http://alanwilsoncannedheat.com/images/Candid%20Alan/portrait-with-glasses-nb.jpg" height="200" width="200">
I was at the Denver Zoo years ago, where a Snowy Owl family was on display in a cage outdoors. We saw a keeper arrive with a Ziplock bag of dead mice and a broom. "A broom?" we wondered, until he went in and the mother owl came at him like, uh, well, I can't really say "like a bat out of hell" here, can I?
Anyway, the keeper fended her off with broom and started pitching the mice to her and the fledglings, or maybe just to Mama so she could dismember them for the Youngs.
Not too crazy about zoos anymore for all the obvious reasons, but it was a beautiful thing to see.
Oh absolutely. One thing I love about spending time out on the gulf islands is the lack of light pollution, from either Vancouver BC or Bellingham, WA. Even a quarter moon will give you enough light to go for a walk… maybe not into/through the woods, but certainly pop along to the shoreline for a night time stroll and maybe enjoy a cigar (or a beer, if you're into that sort of thing, but remember "pack in pack out").
Plus, the occasional bit of bioluminescence if you're lucky.
Ooh, saucy! ;p
But yes our little island does have a lovely escarpment (southwards facing) which might help with some unobstructed stargazing.
Just as good I think would be the hump of Orca Island on the San Juan/US side of the archipelago – or just a visit to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, which is breathtaking anyway – plus you wouldn't need a passport