Great-horned Owl Fun in 2016

[TheGooch]

They must be juvenile. There are several of them. I have seen one once and it is withou question a GHO. My theory is they are hunting the flying squirells which we have a lot of.

 

[centrarchid]

When I have juveniles (currently do around research facility at work), the family with the noisy juveniles will concentrate around their honey whole where juveniles screech a lot as you are observing. They hunt but also have at least one parent proving eats. Juveniles are a bit stupid. Last year I had one get all tangled up in poultry netting.

Honey hole at work based in a combination of voles and rabbits. At home last year it was voles alone but if they would have produced young then the rabbits almost alone would keep owls happy. I have more rabbits than I have ever seen, even relative to what you might see in desert areas in Utah. In is nothing to see a dozen rabbits within 100 feet if each other. They are jumping into feed buckets to eat grain. They may even be showing interest in consuming chicken eggs on the ground,

 

[TheGooch]

Up and in the yard b4 dawn again. The activity is significant and literally in the yard. I cannot see them only hear them. @least 3 individual birds. I saw without question a GHO run off by crows two weeks ago. This screeching may be something else. I have listened to every screech owl sound on the net i can find and what I hear every day doesnt resemble those. I will recors it and send it around.

 

[centrarchid]

Up and in the yard b4 dawn again. The activity is significant and literally in the yard. I cannot see them only hear them. @least 3 individual birds. I saw without question a GHO run off by crows two weeks ago. This screeching may be something else. I have listened to every screech owl sound on the net i can find and what I hear every day doesnt resemble those. I will recors it and send it around.

Screeching is young ones (GHO's). They will do it well into October. The young ones often will either ignore you or even follow you about,

Crows have advantage only during day. GHO biggest predator on crows. Also a big eater of hawks. They are tough dudes after dark.

 

[centrarchid]

Great-horned owls no coming in causing all free-range hens to roost on ground in high weeds. Penning all outside birds up tonight. Deer netting will be put up on barn to keep owls out. Will likely catch an owl in netting before they figure they cannot get in.

 

[Jeannej]

I've had barrel owls the last couple weeks, wish I had firecrackers

 

[Jeannej]

I mentioned barred, sorry

 

[cavemanrich]

I would gladly trade the hawks I am dealing with here for some owls. Lost 2 pigeons on Monday

. Hawk swished down on the flock that was chillin on the roof. All the pigeons scattered. Hawk parks itself in the adjacent tree. Some of the pigeons jumped into loft. Others I had to manually place into safety. The 2 that did not return were juveniles and not very strong flyers yet. I did not see them get attacked, but it is safe to assume . Those hawks do have superior eyesight. I assume that owls hunt mostly at night and hawks during the day, when my pets are out.

 

[centrarchid]

The person posting the blog linked below is not all that far from me and will be giving a talk very soon.

http://forestparkowls.blogspot.com/

 

[centrarchid]

I think it has started again. Likely lost first bird to owl in 2016. Crime scene pictures to come.