BARRED OWL FLIES INTO GARAGE TO ATTEMPT TAKING CHICKS IN BROODER

[lclough1998]

Where are you located? Here in the Northwest there was a news article about having to close a park in Seattle because the people were getting attacked by Barred owls, especially those people with a pony tail or headphones on. They thought it was because we had a long summer and owls were able to hatch chicks twice and they are establishing their territories. Thanks for sharing, that was a close call and a great picture.

 

[ivan3]

centrarchid wrote: Barred owl I know can be seen on power line every day hunting for rodents among cedar trees. It is male. A mile down road a female can be seen every couple days doing same. Generally it is either overcast of near dawn / dusk when owls evident.

The fact the one above showed up like clock work and always chose to perch in the same location is what caught my attention.

Interesting about the regularity of the hunting in your area (must be plenty of voles/moles to eat at that time of day).

 

[centrarchid]

Central Misouri.

Part of regularity in response to great-horned owls which also regular. Barred avoids great-horned.

 

[centrarchid]

I am begining to think it is not an over abundance of voles causing so many barred owl sightings for me. It appears to be an over abundance of owls. They have been hunting in broad daylight on sunny days even around noon. More than usual also getting hit on road. They are also trying take my adult sized birds when they are allowed to roost outside of pens. They can grapple the much larger chicken to ground but dogs bust up every time. Even then the owl does not leave. They must be desperate for food.

 

[ivan3]

Thanks for the update on observations.

Over here, the Barred males are just starting to warm-up for their staking-out of territories through challenges by vocalization No extended cold spell (with attendant snow cover), so far, this winter (Crocus start blooming a month from now), plenty of Field Mice - some mice nesting up in Oak and Hickory snags (no pressure from Grey Squirrels owing to predation by .22Ruger). Limited Vole activity, but Moles have been unimpressed with the Canadian, rather than Artic, air this winter.

Barred Male has been observed on the tallest `plinth' marker, in the graveyard next door, pretty much a fixture for the past week, taking up the position as early as 14:30. Only Raptor probing, thus far, this winter, an ambitious Cooper Hawk (male) that glides past runs but never `stoops to conquer' and a male, Prairie Merlin that broke its neck on the sliding glass door (couldn't pull up as fast as the Brown Tree Creeper).

Did want to mention that the folks we borrowed the RP hen from, last year, for breeding, lost a BR tom (big adult) to a GHO, in late Dec. Attacked roosting turk (roost in run) by `cutting' its throat. bled out, and (L) breast was hollowed out (said it ate enough meat that a softball would have fit in the excavation). Neighbor IDed GHO through the feathers from its head found near victim. The owners are located about two miles east, along the `headwaters' ' of the Cedar (I'm keeping cameras on tripods and the chooks and turks on lockdown at night).

Continuing drought is probably a factor with some heft when considering alteration of pred patterns (not a single coon/opossum/fox trapped since October - longest period of inactivity, on ground, since we started preemptively removing these vermin from property - coon/opossum 1997/Red Fox 2007).

Southern Nocturnal Flying Squirrel numbers seem about average (almost disappeared in `08 owing to the April `07 cold snap and subsequent, very, dry run in late summer - no White Oak Acorns/Hickory nuts to speak of).

Barred's need to work hard for a taste of those swervin' hor d'oeuvres.

Best of luck working up an air defense for your chooks!