Eastern Screech Owl
- Thread starter TXTad
- Start date
L Ross
Well-Known Member
My wife and I found one that had apparently hit a service wire across the very remote road leading back to our cabin. One of its wings was dislocated. Eventually we found a cottage with lights on and was able to borrow the phone to call a DNR warden. He was able to meet us in a town about 30 miles away and took the tiny little owl to a raptor rehab center in Minoqua, WI. Because it was struggling and cold I wrapped the wings to the body with Scotch tape and secured the bird in one of my Mil-Surp wool watch caps. When the warden got to the rehab center the wing had slipped back into joint. After two weeks of healing they returned the bird to the area we had found it. The warden called us when we were back home, initially when he learned that the owl was going to be okay, and again when the owl was released.
Got them little devils here all over the place. In a month, they'll be screeching and saw whetting something awful down alon the river.
Having observed a pair in the back yard, at almost dark, they come out and sit as it starts to get dark. Kind of wake up. Then, they'll move to another spot. Usually low and sit until dark. Then, gone until tomorrow night and repeat the same routine. Sometimes on same limbs. Eat a lot of mice./beagle
Having observed a pair in the back yard, at almost dark, they come out and sit as it starts to get dark. Kind of wake up. Then, they'll move to another spot. Usually low and sit until dark. Then, gone until tomorrow night and repeat the same routine. Sometimes on same limbs. Eat a lot of mice./beagle
TXTad
Active Member
That's a fantastic story.
I've often wondered about cables strung across open fields. I'm sure they take out more birds than people realize.
TXTad
Active Member
There's about 14 acres here in the middle of town that are not developed. There's a number of birds around here because of it. Woodpeckers, owls, hawks. The Cooper's Hawks are fun to watch chase other birds through the woods.
I don't SEE may owls any more, since I don't get out in the woods much these days, but we hear them hooting in the yard and see pellets under the aromatic cedars. My daughter and I have both seen snowy owls, near dusk, when the snow's coming in sideways. They seem to like to hunt in that.
Those little screech-owls though,... There's not much that gives me a start, let alone creeps me out, but when one of those little buggers cries out when you don't expect it,... instantaneous and momentary goosebumps, butt-pucker, terror-stricken, muscle and mind paralysis - like a full inner-body wash of raw moonshine from toes to scalp, only to be abated by the thought that such a reaction was effected by such a darling little creature.
Luckily, that entire process occurs in less than a second, so my bladder and bowels don't even have time to decide to evacuate.
Owls are the most amazing of birds.
Those little screech-owls though,... There's not much that gives me a start, let alone creeps me out, but when one of those little buggers cries out when you don't expect it,... instantaneous and momentary goosebumps, butt-pucker, terror-stricken, muscle and mind paralysis - like a full inner-body wash of raw moonshine from toes to scalp, only to be abated by the thought that such a reaction was effected by such a darling little creature.
Luckily, that entire process occurs in less than a second, so my bladder and bowels don't even have time to decide to evacuate.
Owls are the most amazing of birds.
TXTad
Active Member
When I first saw it it gave me a little scare. It blended in so well it looked like the tree had eyes. Very creepy. And it just didn't move. Like it was part of the tree. Even when I walked up to only 6 or 7 feet away from it, it stayed still, looking all creepy.
todd
Well-Known Member
the spot where i hunt deer in the evening, right around when the sun goes down, you hear great horned owls hooting (i think i have 5 different owls at the same time). i seen them many times. the first time i saw a great horned owl was when i was 15yo hunting squirrels. the owl flew down to me at about 10 feet. it stood there, looked around, seen me, looked around again and then it looked at me again and then it flew off. i couldn't believe the size of that thing, esp the wingspan!!! it was 5 or 6 feet across. and the way it flew in the woods was awesome!!!
my friend's grandfather had a nest full of barn owls on his farm. they nest hollows of trees, but during the day they rest in barns, i had one in my shop several years ago.
i didn't see it, but several years ago, one summer at night i heard a barred owl on my neighbor's property.
over the years, i have seen eastern screech owls and long eared owls.
my friend's grandfather had a nest full of barn owls on his farm. they nest hollows of trees, but during the day they rest in barns, i had one in my shop several years ago.
i didn't see it, but several years ago, one summer at night i heard a barred owl on my neighbor's property.
over the years, i have seen eastern screech owls and long eared owls.
L Ross
Well-Known Member
I have seen a disproportionately large number of owls killed alongside our highways this Winter, both Great Horned and Barred, and I don't have an explanation. Something is going on however. Either food sources are being attracted near the highway or the new car headlights are somehow deceiving the owls, but it is disturbing.
Grew up here in Carter Co. Ky,lots of owls & hawks. Always had barn owls, when I was younger(pre teens) they could/would scare the bejesus outta me. O, Liked the moonshine commit.
One cold winter day 40+ years ago my dad and I were driving along and he suddenly stopped and turned around. I hadn't seen what he did, so was surprised when he jumped out of the truck and returned with one of these little buggers. Apparently it had been hit, and was stunned, likely would have frozen to death.
A couple of hours later we were at my house, and the owl would turn its head slowly to one side, and kept one eye closed. Either later that day or the next, we were able to feed it hamburger. He took it home and kept it in a box with a screen on top. It ate daily, and improved over the course of a couple of weeks until one morning the screen was off the box. The owl was perched in an artifical flower arrangement on the wall, and not happy. It was soon released back into the wild.
A couple of hours later we were at my house, and the owl would turn its head slowly to one side, and kept one eye closed. Either later that day or the next, we were able to feed it hamburger. He took it home and kept it in a box with a screen on top. It ate daily, and improved over the course of a couple of weeks until one morning the screen was off the box. The owl was perched in an artifical flower arrangement on the wall, and not happy. It was soon released back into the wild.
TXTad
Active Member
This is sad. I hope it is not a trend.
JWinAZ
Active Member
A few years ago at about 8:30 pm we were standing outside of the Extension office conducting the after-meeting with the agent. He had a head full of white hair, and we were under some lights. We heard a whoosh and looked up to see a very large owl realize that the agents head was not a rabbit! It came very very close though, those talons would have caused damage. We advised the agent that he might want to wear a dark hat!
TXTad
Active Member
We get a lot of transients here just north of DFW airport. I'm in town, but on some of the last undeveloped land with oak trees and some adjacent open space. It's fun to watch the Cooper's Hawks chasing birds through the woods, Red Tails looking for rats, and the many shockingly tiny birds that still seem to survive the cold on their way through. All good stuff.
Bazoo
Active Member
A few years ago, I went up to the barn after dark to get something. When I was leaving I saw a screech owl on top of a post, he'd been watching me. I got about 2' from him and told him stay right there. I went back to the house and got the wife and the camera. We came back and he had listened to my instructions carefully because he hadn't moved. I got a good picture, though I cannot find it now.
L Ross
Well-Known Member
Memory can be such a tricky thing. I was telling Sue about our digital conversation over the screech owl and the one we rescued when suddenly I recalled all the facts were correct save one very important one, the owl. It was a Saw Whet Owl not an Eastern Screech Owl. My only excuse was that the incident was over 25 years ago.
TXTad
Active Member
For some morphs, they're not very different looking.
todd
Well-Known Member
i'm lucky to remember what i ate yesterday for supper.