Who's Who of Owls

[digitS']

I'd post my own lame picture of the owl family that lived in the neighbor's hay barn and helped rid my garden of pests but ..

. who would care when you could look at stunning owl photo's from Audubon?

Who's Who!

Steve

 

[Sprinkler Buddy]

That's cool!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

when i was a kid in 3rd grade my teacher had a stuffed Greater Horned Owl that used to overlook her classroom. her dh had done the taxidermy work on it many years before and did a nice job at making it look real. i think he may have found it since he was known as a hunter but would also pick up the occasional dead animal along his way that was in good condition to practice on.

 

[Jeni Ann]

That is awesome!!! But I also like "lame" pictures
It made think, though, I see (& hear) Great Horned Owls all the time. Occasionally I will stumble upon a Screech Owl, But I have never seen a Barn Owl. Hear them often, but have never seen one. Hmmmm ....

 

[Nyboy]

I have only once seen a owl in the wild. I couldn't believe how small it was.

 

[Jeni Ann]

I have only once seen a owl in the wild. I couldn't believe how small it was.

It was probably a Screech Owl, they are cute little owls (who don't "screech"). You were lucky to see one, they are great camouflagers! Ya see that!? I made new word!!!

 

[digitS']

@Jeni Ann , in honor of you coining a new word here is my lame picture (taken with me standing in my garden ).



These are probably the babies. I decided that they are the PNW variety of the Great Horned Owl. I assumed that the #3 owl was the mother. Over many months, I never saw a #4. The 2 babies could fly but didn't go far ... until they finally disappeared. They would happily hide in nearby evergreens through the day but obviously liked that barn .

I had hoped that they would rid the garden of rabbits but only found evidence that they had eaten a total of one . Once I saw a Cottontail traverse the entire length of the garden ... and the 3 owls did no more than watch it!

Still, bunny damage was at an absolute minimum that year and there was plenty of evidence that they were eating mice ...

Steve

 

[Jeni Ann]

COOL! That's not a lame picture!
The Great Horned owl in our cottonwoods last summer would fly down to the ground and eat the June bugs (& hopefully the Japanese beetles) for hours! We would find furry pellets under the trees, too, from it or relatives (?). Voles are supposed to be a favorite food for them. We have a LOT of those around I hope the owls set up camp here again next summer!

 

[secuono]

Never heard of that black one, spectacle owl, pretty!

We have pigeons...or doves?...in the barn. They hoot like owls and for the longest time, we thought it was an owl.
Turns out, it's several generations of pigeon/doves. Big things, LGD recently started killing them, must of weighed two pounds. Pigs thought they were delicious, but I'm not much for squab. =/
whoopsies.

 

[Nyboy]

Like chickens pigeons have breeds for meat. If your pigeons are really big they might be from meat breed.