owl update

[lagilman]

Although we continue to be serenaded occasionally in the pre-dawn by the great horned owl, there have been no sightings of him. Considering that any sightings would probably involve the loss of domestic livestock, this is probably for the best.

However, as I was walking home yesterday I heard the squalking of annoyed crows. Looking up into the bright blue sky (it was so gorgeous yesterday I can't begin to tell) I saw two black shapes flying around and darting at a much larger, much whiter form that seemed to give them about as much notice as a great dane gives a yorkie. I suspect a common barn owl, but if so s/he was quite the grown beastie, because the feathers looked to be almost completely white, no banding or darker juvie pinfeathers at all.

I watched for a few moments, and s/he soared off, silent and graceful, leaving the crows behind.

Owls have a very special meaning to me, and I can't help but feel honored that s/he came out in broad daylight yesterday in just the time and place for me to see him/her.


(and while many cultures claim owls are bearer of bad tidings, I've never found them so...here's hoping that continues!)

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

If the owl looked _much_ larger than crows, I'd wonder if you had a vagrant snowy owl down from the arctic wastes. Barn owls aren't that big.

[lagilman]

He was noticably large (specifically the wingspan) and, as I said, considerably whiter all over than I remember for barn owls, but a snowy would have to be pretty lost to be this far south in the spring, yes?

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Yes. They're rare even way up here.

Crows will mob other things -- I'm assuming you can tell the difference between an owl profile and, say, a red-tail hawk, which would be in that size range and can look white from the underside.

[lagilman]

I'm assuming you can tell the difference between an owl profile and, say, a red-tail hawk

Rather. *grin*

(my favorite bird moment is still the afternoon I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye, sitting on the roof of the house next door. "Big-ass weird-looking raven" was my first thought, as ravens were the most common large bird in the neighborhood likely to perch on roofs. Then "not black." Then "holy shit, is the cat inside?" Juvie golden eagle, come to visit from the nearby Delaware Water Gap.)

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

I checked with Wife, who is a genuine Professional, and she checked with "Sibley" -- barn owls would be roughly crow-sized. Snowy owls have been sighted as far south as Georgia, and under snowy and great gray owls, the book says: "Individuals of both species seen far to the south of normal range are often starved and stressed for food, and thus active in daylight. Healthy birds are mainly nocturnal, like other owls."

Keep an eye on the sky...

[lagilman]

I did a google image search, to see if I could find anything, but surprisingly few undercarriage shots of owls.

I did find this, tho which made me blink in recognition and wonder if we've got a damned albino in the neighborhood. Of all the damn days to not have my camera with me...

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Don't have any statistics to back this up, but I'd expect a snowy owl to be more likely than a viable adult albino.

[lagilman]

Undoubtedly. And it was probably a larger-than-average barn owl. But possibilities are such fun to play with....


(and whatever it was, it was pretty and a gift to see)

[plattcave.livejournal.com]

Very cool.

[windrose.livejournal.com]

I've always considered owls to be symbols of wisdom, myself.

Very cool encounter.

[christymarx.livejournal.com]

We had massively large owls when I lived in the Oakhurst and Mariposa areas (near Yosemite). Unfortunately, they preyed on cats, especially white cats. I went from five to zero white cats with the owls around. Another cat that was gray and white was a near miss because the owl pounced on the white tip of the cat's tail and he escaped.

[vincam.livejournal.com]

Me, I'd be more worried about the crows for bad tidings.