37 replies to this topic

[King Fluffs]

If one attacks me, then a fight to the death will begin.

Only one of us will see the light of day.

[Sundew]

The theory that it might be young owls could be the reason. The summer I came out of my house to see my cat sitting about a foot from a screech owl that was sitting on the ground. I moved the cat and the owl tried to fly away and crash landed in the grass. I realized it was a fledgling and hadn't quite learned the mastery of the air yet. Later that night I heard something hit the sliding glass door of our balcony and got up to find the owl sitting on the balcony acting as if drunk (probably from banging its head!). It collected itself and finally flew off. Thinking that would be the end of it, the next night I heard another bang against the glass and there it was again! The second knock on the head must have finally gotten through to the owl that this was not a good idea and that was the last I saw of it. Screech owls pose no danger to humans, they are about 5" tall and rather cute, and mostly eat insects and mice, and the "screech" seems to be a misnomer as well because they frequently call at night but I have never heard anything approaching a "screech", more like a quite trill.

On the other hand we also have great horned owls here, and while none has ever been that close, I have seen them in our trees at dusk and once during the day when it was being mobbed by the other birds. This is a formidable looking owl and a friend head one carry off a young raccoon one night. Hopefully my cat is not dumb enough to get that close to one of these.

We also had an owl swoop in for a good look at my mother-in-law's chihuahua one night, he we not been standing there, who knows.....?

I did have a friend who worked for a cable company who was walking in the woods beneath some power-poles checking the cables. He heard a "whooshing" sound and the next thing he knew he came to lying on the ground with his head bleeding profusely. Seems he had gotten too close to a red-tailed hawk's nest and the bird nailed him in the back of the neck with both talons and knocked him out cold.

Edited by Sundew, 15 October 2012 - 12:11 PM.

[Capt Amerika]

Time to call Moms Owl Exterminators.

[Chooky88]

Likely Guy, on 15 October 2012 - 04:35 AM, said:

Chooky, amazing avatar. For those that haven't noticed, scroll up and look at the baby's T-shirt (the dog has second thoughts, except he's willing).

Why thank you Likely Guy. I actually didn't notice the owl on my daughters top! Cool coincidence :-)

[MidKn13ght]

They are just getting a closer look to see WHO it is...... But really who doesnt like aggresive hooters?????

Edited by MidKn13ght, 15 October 2012 - 04:17 PM.

[cerberusxp]

Warning this house guarded by an ATTACK OWL! lol

[mrknownothing]

Mr. Smith, on 14 October 2012 - 07:43 PM, said:

Are you trolling know-nothing?

Not even sure what trolling means my friend, looking around? Guess so, I come on here every day or two to read the recent headlines because I like them. Usually don't post because it's rare I would come back but I had to say something here. Checked back because I figure some people wouldn't take it well. I'm sorry you have such a low opinion of our species, but if you really look around we're not all that bad. Going by your assesment we walk around killing animals for no reason and destroying their habitats for fun. That's simply not the case.

[little_dreamer]

I've seen some BIG owls  - at least 12 inches tall if not more.  And they're totally silent too, so you won't hear them coming.

[Mr. Smith]

@
   mrknownothing

Well if you weren't trolling you're being naive. But if you live somewhere that people don't displace/kill off multitudes of animals by sprawling development, overfishing, overhunting, hunting for kicks, commercially overbreeding until 100's of thousands get sick and must be destroyed, burning their forests, altering entire ecosystems, introducing foreign predator species or simply pollute their land then good for you. Doesn't all have to be intentional but the end result is the same. Without us playing bad god/good god they'd be better off.

Edited by Mr. Smith, 16 October 2012 - 12:58 AM.

[Mr. Smith]

little_dreamer, on 16 October 2012 - 12:43 AM, said:

I've seen some BIG owls  - at least 12 inches tall if not more.  And they're totally silent too, so you won't hear them coming.

Back on topic, my grandmother has Barn owls roost in some of the buildings around the farm, a few years ago a baby fell out of the rafters, couldn't fly yet and the mother was nowhere around. So to keep it safe at night from coons, feral cats, coyotes and hawks they put it in a small dog kennel. The next morning they came out to find the mother had stopped by and pushed several bits of a dead mouse through the screen door. I could never kill an Owl. Plus they keep the walnut thieven' squirrels at bay.

[nohands]

i think animal nowaday thinks more complicated...hnmn?

[Chooky88]

I love that story of Mr Smith. Just because animals don't think like us. They are still capable of intelligence and compassion.

[mrknownothing]

Still not clear on trolling. Like trolling the forrest, i.e. looking around? Aren't we all doing that.

The owls keep squirrels away? Uh oh, destroying their habitat and pushing them out. How are the squirrels stealing the walnuts? Aren't they every animals walnuts? Or aren't they the trees walnuts and anything else taking them is stealing them? Hey, let's just kill all humans, that'll make people like you happy. You brush your teeth today? You know how many things you killed by doing that? You drive a car? That kills tons of bugs every day by running through their natural habitat. You wear deodorant? There are bacteria that would love to live off your body’s secretions. Guess my house is in the deer’s way, I should tear it down so I'm not intruding. They do seam to be doing pretty well here though; they eat the apples off the trees I planted. Damn me for interfering and playing god! My cats kill a ton of little creatures. Should I kill them to save those creature? I did bring in those cats and those creatures lived here first, just say the word and I'll eliminate the problem. How about all those people walking around with pig heart valves? They should all be dead! Why hurt a poor little pig to help an evil human?!?! All those nets in Africa keeping the mosquitoes from being able to eat! Damn all those people, they deserve malaria! You've changed my mind. I hate humanity and all our so-called advances!

[AliveInDeath7]

Owls are awesome, but those talons would tear someone up.. not to mention the beak.

[Bignose Goon]

Owls about that then!