owl time again

[centrarchid]

Here we go again. Great-horned owls have fledged their 2011 chicks that are now following parents on forays. The young and dumb will soon be challenging my coops and pens.

 

[poultrycrazy]

We dont have many owl here but there are a couple in the abandoned barn next to us (along with many other rodents) Like racoons and cats with feline distemper

It must be kool to see all those new owls

 

[centrarchid]

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I bet you have them as well. Leave windows open at night and you will here their begging for food. I seldom actually see them as they generally bolt as soon as I go outside. Their call is quite loud and distinctive.

 

[UrbanFarmerGirl]

We have barn owls nesting right behind our yard. Can hear them flushing out prey and screeching (sends chills up my spine), and have seen them dive in the backyard. They are teaching the uncoordinated fledglings to hunt right now. The result is- they are starting to pick off some of the rodent pests in the yard, but they are dropping quite a few. I also saw one fly into something the other day. So far they only hunt once the chickens are roosting so there isn't too much to worry about for me- more helpful exterminators than anything else. The babies won't stick around too much longer I think. They tend to spread out once they are competent with the hunting and flying. Great horned owls are getting pretty rare around here- only one reported in the whole county this year. I'd like to see one some day.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I have not heard our this year......................hmmm hope nothing has happend to them.


They like to sit on our house as it sits taller than most in our valley, giving them a nice view - not many trees in the desert. Calling to each other, they wake me up at night. They are great rabbit and pack rat control here.



But our Golden Eagles have a downy chick in their nest. We use the telescope to view the nest up the mountain behind us.

 

[Chickmate]

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How totally awesome to have Golden Eagles close enough to watch! People report sightings of Bald Eagles in this area, but I have never seen one. I do see a pair about 2 1/2 hours from here on the way to my daughters house. They have a nest along a river right in the city! Beautiful birds!