Great Horned Owl

[Frankenkubota]

This is 25 or 30 years ago, we used have barn owls, then bald eagles moved in. Some of the first in the county when they were re-establishing territory. An owl took off out of the barn one day and...poof...the eagle took it in mid flight.

I live on the saltwater now and I see eagles every day and hear barred owls all the time. I would rather not have eagles to be quite honest. I much prefer osprey, terns and herons. Even the little kingfisher. All of those birds work for a living. Eagles do too to some extent but they scavenge and steal a lot.

I'm pretty sure it was Ben Franklin who had nothing good to say about bald eagles. He suggested the buzzard a better symbol of America than Bald Eagle.

 

[polo1665]

Thanks for posting that. I hear that a lot, but I never knew the species behind it. On some of the higher notes, the can almost sound like a coyote or a baboon to me.

Lol, I've got one in the woods behind my house. First time I heard it I thought I had been transported to Africa. Must have been mating season or something. I usually just hear the common "who cooks for you" call.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm pretty sure it was Ben Franklin who had nothing good to say about bald eagles. He suggested the buzzard a better symbol of America than Bald Eagle.

I thought it was the wild turkey?
Anyways, one evening me and my dad were walking around our old farm pond and a screech owl swooped down and grazed the top of his head :laughing: our local naturalist expert said they will do that if you get too close to their nest.

 

[kenmbz]

Wondered what all the whooping was at night here, know the sound of the horned owls and most other raptors.
The Barred owl sometimes does sound a bit like a baboon.
The sound that is most disturbing though is the Foxes, we have sometime 3 of them that "talk" to each other.
Sometimes sounds like a woman or child screaming, would freak my wife out at 5 in the morning.

 

[dodge man]

[SUB][/SUB]Why would you want owl pellets? I looked up pics and the ones I see look different, more white.

 

[Alien]

We have, what looks like, a barn owl that lives close to our house. It is fairly quiet and sometimes watches us.
Another one is a 'fierce' owl that can catch cats and possums I'm told. Neighbours have one but I haven't seen one here yet.
We do have, nesting beside the house, a pair of Frogmouths. They are lovely quiet birds that are hard to see when in a tree as they are camoflaged. They are quite large. They say they are not owls but they are nocturnal and we call them owls. Apparently related to the kookaburra. Their young one is close to leaving the nest right now.

 

[Frankenkubota]

Yup

Turkey, makes a lot more sense

Taste better too!

 

[MossRoad]

Tawny frogmouth?

Tawny frogmouth - Wikipedia

 

[user.69169]

Watch turkey try to make tree landing. NOT even decent pilot.
Nasty bird wid lot of attitude too.

Don't blow horn at turkey blocking driveway if you like paint on hood or wipers. Better to drive around or wait.

 

[Hay Dude]

Watch turkey try to make tree landing. NOT even decent pilot.
Nasty bird wid lot of attitude too.

Don't blow horn at turkey blocking driveway if you like paint on hood or wipers. Better to drive around or wait.

Yeah we got em and I do like seeing them with chicks. It’s kinda cute. The adults do have attitudes on em. Tough animal though...

 

[drssg]

We have tons of turkeys, and I never had any problems with them. They are quite shy, and they run away on sight. They crack me up when they're doing their speed trotting.

 

[Alien]

Tawny frogmouth?

Tawny frogmouth - Wikipedia

Yes MossRoad. That's the one.

 

[goeduck]

These are two of my favorite birds to watch fish. Completely different diving styles. The Osprey goes in feet first and the Tern goes in head first.

 

[weldingisfun]

I have Barred Owls around here, they make some of most un-Godly noise I know of........
Barred Owl Calls - YouTube

Thank you for the YouTube link. It led me to another video, Owls of North America and their Calls - YouTube that helped to identify what makes a sound we have been listening to for years, the Eastern Screech Owl.

 

[MossRoad]

Yes MossRoad. That's the one.

Thanks. I've seen them at several zoos. Quite a unique looking bird.

 

[Western]

Owl pellets! :licking:

One big reason folks here make sure they have closed up their deer blinds when leaving, you would not believe the carnage in a small box after owls have raised some brood. Not sure which is worse, the smell or the visual!

I know GHO and Barred owls, both large birds, overlap in much of their range, but a barred owl will go to his far end range when a GHO is in the area, even the barred doesn't want to tangle with the big hooter.

 

[lilranch2001]

I love big hooters!

 

[lilranch2001]

I have seen wild turkeys here since I moved here in the 80's but last summer I was mowing along a creek and I scared up a momma with 7 of her poults following her, they were so funny chasing momma!
Later in the summer I saw them several times.
Early fall came and I was hearing a banging on my walk out basement door and wondered who would be at that door.
I went out the side door and walked around and looked down, and there were 7 turkeys one of which was pecking at the reflection of itself in the door.

When they saw me they took off running. It happened 4 times again (that I heard) later, one of which I got a picture of as they ran away. I tried to post the pic but it was not of high enough quality to see the details.

Several times in the fall I also heard a rustling in the tree canopy of my woods and saw the turkeys flying from tree top to tree top

 

[sld]

I used to get attacked by Mississippi Kites on a golf course I used to play. They would swoop down and peck you on the head. Even with a cap on it would hurt.