Huge Owl

[Oregon Blues]

It's getting dark earlier. I got home later than I expected last night and the sun had just gone down.

There was just enough twilight to see an enormous owl, perched on top of a telephone pole, carefully studying my ducks.

It looks like I need to be a lot more certain I will be home before sundown, or else I need to leave the ducks shut into their night pen when I leave home.

The owl flew away when I walked out to the orchard, but he'll get hungrier as it gets colder and the snow starts to fly. He's located the ducks now, so he'll be coming back.

My best guess is that he is a half grown Great Horned Owl. He had the tufts on his head, but wasn't nearly big enough to be an adult. My ducks are too big for him right now, but he'll grow and he'll be a lot hungrier in a month or so.

He's a magnificent creature. If he wants to hang out here and work on the mice and cottontails, he's welcome. I just will have to be diligent about protecting the ducks from him.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I know what you mean, I love to see and hear the owls and other wild life, just have to make sure I'm doing my part to keep my ducks and chickens and goose from being supper for them.

 

[RunnerWhisperer]

I hate these early nights and late morings already! Simply because it's less time the ducks can be out. And I am with you on trying to be home before it get's dark but I know it will be dark soon long before I even leave work. I have been training my daughter and my son on how to get the ducks ready for bedtime. They aren't too excited about it but they know the reasons why. I use to let the ducks out at 6am, now that it's dark till around 7am, I make them wait and they hate it! It really crunches my schedule in the moring between getting kids ready for school, myself for work and taking care of them. Ugh!

 

[sourland]

In addition to hunting at night, GHO will hunt at dawn or dusk and all day long on overcast drizzly days. They are ferocious and tenacious predators. I have even had them enter lofts and coops after chickens and pigeons.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

There are sooooo many hawks near my place! They start coming to gether now! Insted of just one! There five! I need to keep a close eye on my ducks. When I see a hawk, I make a speacal sound and the ducks run for under the porch. me and my mom also noticed that some thing has been eating the feed, so we locked it up tight, and something was CHEWING on it to get the to the food! Thats when we swiched from plastic to metal cans. Good luck Oregon blues!

 

[Mark HSV-AL]

If it was a Great Horned Owl then it is more than capable of taking down any duck you might have if the owl is old enough to fly. A lot of people think these owls are a lot bigger than they really are due to their ability to take down large prey. I think you are right on the money about putting your ducks up, good luck!