I wasn't going to post TLW today, but lineatus didn't post Dawn Chorus yesterday, so to fill in the vacuum left behind I'm doing this special EMERGENGY!!! repost of an earlier TLW. This one was the first (to my knowledge) birding diary ever to make the Wrecklist. I've had some new owl encounters since I first posted this, so it's updated with the new stuff.
Owls are some of my favourite birds. I love how they always look like they've just been shot with a BB gun, I love the deep booming hoots late at night. I love the silent flights and noisy landings they make. My dad and I wanted to attract owls to our house, and Screech Owls seemed the easiest to lure in, so he built an owl house with a camera inside. That way, we could see if they laid eggs, and we could watch the chicks grow up.
This little fellow here is what we were trying to draw in.
From the title of this diary, you've probably guessed that our little idea didn't work as planned. Otherwise this would be a diary about screech owls.
More below the fold :: :: :P
No screech owls ever showed up (Some wood ducks did check out the box, but that's a whole different diary). For the longest time, we couldn't figure out why no owls would nest in the box. Dad made owl boxes for several friends, and nearly all had owls within a month. So why not ours?
The answer came late at night with a heavy thud on the roof. Followed by a loud scraping noise. Then came a haunting sound that seemed to vibrate the whole house, a deep booming "hooo, hoo hoo hoo hooo hooo". The sound is unmistakable: Great Horned Owls. By this time I was fully awake (the thud jolted me up just as I was drifting off), and I could hear in the distance a faint reply.
A little info on Great Horned Owls: Scientific name Bubo virginianus, They're the most widespread owl in North America, and they'll kill and eat anything smaller than themselves. Sometimes Great Horneds (sp) will kill animals larger and heavier than themselves. IIRC, there's a YouTube video of a Great Horned attacking a small dog (free Mojo to whoever can find it [this offer still stands ~ T.R.] ), and their talons can crush a dog's skull.
In fact, Great Horned Owls will kill and eat Screech Owls. That's why the owl box went empty.
Over the following months, the late-night hooting went from just two owls to a chorus of about six. The strange thing is, I still haven't seen any more of these owls than a shadow on the rooftop. My parents, however, saw them all in the greenbelt next to the house while walking the dog. That's where this picture comes from.
Recently while watching The Daily Show, that familiar hooting started echoing down the chimney. An owl was sitting on top of it! I turned down the TV volume so I could hear it better. He stayed there calling out to the other owls for about half an hour.
I haven't heard them since, but I know they'll be back, and I'll spend another night listening to them late at night calling to each other, their deep voices echoing through the Texas night.
And, just because I feel like it, here are some more owls.
For more birding fix, look for Dawn Chorus on Saturday mornings, hosted by lineatus. Also look for "Photo Breaks" from juliewolf throughout the week.
Also, plf515 has a meta series called Daily Kos University, where containing links to all the "teaching" diaries from the week. And Translator will be answering any and all questions (without reference!) at around 7:00 central in "Tweak the Geek" (formerly "Outwit the Nitwit", formerly "Stump the Chump") Check it out!
As usual, The Left Wing is sort of an avian open thread. Feel free to share any bird (or any critter) pictures/stories, whether they're from the other side of the world, or from your own backyard.