Creature Of The Night!

[Birch Run Farm]

My house is a raised cape so the first floor is what would be a second floor on most other homes. I have a front porch, raised as well, and stepped out to cool off. The wood stove is heating very well as the temp outside is 'warm' for VT, it is a summery 34 degrees and 81 degrees inside.

So I live in a valley here in the Green Mountains so there are lots of woods. In front of my house flows a large brook. It is quite scenic here.

OK, so I walk out onto the porch. My poultry houses are across the brook and I have one of those street lights on the utility pole so the front yard/ barnyard is lit up.

As I walk out and the door closes behind me I saw movement in the trees. Wow, a HUGE owl. It was totally silent and flew off following the brook down stream. It was watching the house and sitting at window level. Weird!

I have been unpacking moving boxes full of books and taxidermy mounts to set up in my living room. I discover I did not build enough book shelves! So an hour later I go back outside and guess who is back!

Yes, he is definitely looking in the windows to watch me. This time he sits tight on his tree branch. He does not know I can see him. So I lean over to act like I am really looking at him, which I am, and he suddenly moves and stands tall on the branch. He realizes I see him and flies off again.

Silly bird. This time I can see a better profile of him and there are no ears so it is a barred owl.

 

[Mahonri]

Maybe he can hear nearby chickens?

 

[redhen]

lol..sounds like you have a stalker...

..

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Nope, chickens are all locked up and quiet. Besides, the brook is running very full right now and is deafeningly loud. He is watching the house. When the last snow storm came through a few days ago I swore I saw an owl sillouette in the trees. Now I am certain it was there before.

I have been here just now two winters and am finally unpacking stuff like my books... I have never lost a chicken to owls. The light is for the fox and coyotes. I have heard the owls calling before but did not know they were so curious about what I do around here at night.

Now that I know they are hanging out I will keep better track of them. They are very cool birds!

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Harry Potter ? HM?

 

[Mahonri]

We had one that roosted in our big poplar tree on the north side by our kitchen window in the winter for many years.

 

[Their Other Mother]

I have some friends who were building a house in a remote area. Her husband worked shift work and would be gone for a day or two at a time. They were living on the opposite end of 5 acres in a 30 foot long 5th wheel trailer while building. The 3 story house was framed with the roof on at this point. She heard her cat going berzerk at the front door of the trailer one night so she opened it and the cat comes racing in and hides under the table, she looks up and sees this huge owl, 5 acres away, perched on the very peak of the new house just watching. Of course the clouds are low and it's kind of misty out, then the moon shines through and OH MY... The owl takes of and flys straight at her! She slams the door and that danged owl landed right on top of the trailer over the door. She said you could hear the talons on the metal. Scared her to pieces!!!! Scares me just thinking about it!!!

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Owls are very curious. I have had them swoop down when I was getting out of a tree bow hunting deer. You can't hear them flying! They would land on a branch right next to me trying to figure out what I was.

 

[Their Other Mother]

Can I Hi-Jack this thread for a second? I just rememberd a FUNNY story that happened to my Dad and my Uncle. They were hunting in the Central/little bit North Arizona area. My Uncle was in his mid 60's, big bushy gray beard, dressed in desert camo with a hat on and sitting on a rock near some shrubbery. My Dad is about 30 yards off and they are both watching this hawk circle the area. Well the hawk is huge and he starts flying towards my Uncles area and then he's gonna land on my Uncle's head. Well My Uncle thinks "NOOOO, This hawk sees me and he's not gonna come close", so he just sits still to see what will happen, then the hawk is about 3 feet in front of him with his talons out in front like he's gonna land on his head! He thinks Uncle is a tree stump. At the last second Uncle moves his gun up to jump back, the gun fires, the hawk poops all over Uncles face, Uncle rolls over backwards off the rock and Dad is all but peeing his pants laughing at the scene!!

Sorry for the Hi-Jack but this was such a funny story, we still tell it around the table and it happend over 30 years ago.

 

[TheOLDNewChick]

That's fantastic.


Birch; you have a fan.