I might have a few less squirrels and mice

[Vermin King]

For the last two years, I've had rather noisy owls at night, but hadn't seen any of them until a month ago. The closest I'd seen them was last week during the storms when one was perched on the roof of the neighbor's house.

This AM, when I was feeding the feral cats, I saw one owl in the old squirrel/raccoon nest in the maple tree across the street. Another owl was flying up and handing off something to this one that was guarding the hole. I've heard odd sounds from that direction at night, so I'm assuming they have little ones.

[jeffgeorge]

My parents in Phoenix have both owls and hawks (Harris hawks, specifically, I believe) in their neighborhood. They have had small dogs get attacked by the hawks, including a yorkie that the bird manage to fatally injure. They had to stop letting them out unsupervised. I mean, I love nature, but still...

[cowboyleland]

I could use fewer squirrels in my garden...

[Vermin King]

I've had fun watching them the last few days. The baby kept sitting on the edge and stretching its wings, then duck back to safety.

Today it left the nest











Hasn't quite grasped the flying thing, but momma is keeping a watchful eye

[ignatious]

I had a barred owl sitting on the gate to my driveway a few weeks ago. I got within three or four feet before he took off into a tree by the house. It must have been too close to a mocking bird nest because two of them immediately started dive bombing him and pulling his tail feathers until he flew off to another tree. 

[Vermin King]

One of the feral cats got too curious, so I brought her inside. The meowing is driving me up a wall

[Vermin King]

And it got up on my porch and discovered the cat food (at least it isn't completely starved now). I was hoping the mom would bring it some food, but I don't think she has. Mom asked if the momma was still around so I went out the back door to see. She is. But when I came back in, Calico got out, and of course went to the front porch. Baby Owl is sitting on the middle step and did not like the attention of Calico. Momma was also making aggressive clicky noises. I was able to snag Calico and get her back inside. Gonna be a Loooonnnngggg night

[Antohammer]

they are nice!!! *o* .... but are they dangerous?

[Vermin King]

Well, Barney the Baby Barn Owl was practicing flying by launching from a height. He would take off from the embankment above my drive, flap like crazy and land in the drive. Hops back to the top and repeats. The fluttery photos were too blurred. But eventually he made it into my neighbor's elm tree







He's still there this morning.

Well, the adult can be dangerous when agitated. She was protecting the little one. Yesterday in the early afternoon, she swooped at a pedestrian who tried to get a better look at the baby. During the driveway thing, a driver stopped to get a photo and she swooped at him. The beak shouldn't be that dangerous, but the claws could be very bad

[Vermin King]

In my walnut tree this AM

[okumarts]

1d3 damage maybe..

[Vermin King]

Been a little excited about Momma's return. She's been back for a month and I've seen her going into the old nest. According to the Missouri Conservation Department, Barred Owls start nesting mid-March to mid-April, laying 2-4 eggs. Eggs take 4-5 weeks to hatch. Hatchlings take 4-5 weeks before leaving the nest. That works out to about the right time frame on Barney last year.

There has been another owl that was bringing her food, but I have yet to get a good photo.

She likes to come out at false dawn, and then again after sunset and is active until it really gets dark. During the last two cold snaps, she has also started coming out for a little morning sun on cooperative days.