Great Horned Owl

[lilranch2001]

The closest most birds come to me is barn swallows, they love when I mow and they dive bomb bugs around me, but they are very good at missing me and the eXmark

 

[Ford850]

The closest most birds come to me is barn swallows, they love when I mow and they dive bomb bugs around me, but they are very good at missing me and the eXmark

I love to swallows swarming when I mow. I've had them cross under the tractor, between front and rear axles, while I'm cruising along pulling a rotary cutter.

 

[MossRoad]

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

Growing up here, there were no Turkeys in northern Indiana until the early 80's. The state started releasing turkeys back into Indiana in the late 50's, but didn't really start large numbers until the late 70's and early 80's around here. They have taken off ever since. It is one of the most successful Turkey reintroduction programs in the country. I've seen flocks of over 100 on our property out towards North Liberty. They've blocked the highway crossing the road from field to forest.

 

[Jstpssng]

I had never seen a wild turkey until 2000, when I took a picture of 4 crossing the road in front of me. At the time it was a big deal. That fall I worked in New York for the first time, and turkeys definitely were NOT a big deal there. Since then they've come quite prolific, it's not unusual to see 20, 30, or 40 out in my field in late summer.

 

[oosik]

Never thought of this. Bet our proliferation of turkeys is why hawks, owls & coyotes are booming also. Ask any rancher, around here, who feeds grains or pelletized foods - what he thinks of turkeys. You just DO NOT leave any kind of animal food outside anymore. It attracts turkeys like mice to cheese.

Turkeys will do the same thing to your yards as hogs in Texas do to their fields.

 

[czechsonofagun]

I started hunting in Virginia in 2007, first turkey ever I saw around 2012 and now there are huge flocks roaming the county.

 

[MoKelly]

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.

Here you go. The rumor was the turkey (not a buzzard).

MoKelly

 

[lilranch2001]

I cracked up as I was getting off the interstate this afternoon on the north side of Fort Wayne......


You may need to blow up the image to read the lic plate

 

[fruitcakesa]

View attachment 682557

I cracked up as I was getting off the interstate this afternoon on the north side of Fort Wayne......


You may need to blow up the image to read the lic plate

Whooo is that

 

[stuckmotor]

Whooo is that

Oliver Windell Lewis.

 

[MossRoad]

View attachment 682557

I cracked up as I was getting off the interstate this afternoon on the north side of Fort Wayne......


You may need to blow up the image to read the lic plate

What a co-inkydink!

 

[pmsmechanic]

Several owl stories:

Years ago we were headed to a family gathering and noticed an owl hanging funny on a fence. Kept driving and I realized that owls don't sit on a barbed wire fence with one wing stuck out for balance. Went back and wrapped the owl up with a towel but there was no untangling that one. My wife had a knife and we cut through a pile of feathers. It stood on the ground for a bit and then flew away. I was impressed with the wing span. 2.5' owl, 6'wing span.

We have a great horned nest on the yard. The neighbour wanted to get rid of a cat so I brought a mom and 3 kittens home. Mistake as the owl threaded her way through standing humans in the middle of the afternoon to go after momma cat. My wife said she could feel the air off of the wings. So I rehomed the cat and kittens to another neighbour.

A few days later a pair of Canada geese flew slowly through the yard at about 15-20' above the ground. All of a sudden there was a pile of squawking as the owl proceeded to dive bomb one of the Canadas. Yet I've never had an issue walking at night or anytime for that matter. I can stand and watch the young ones in the nest. I can talk to them at night when I'm walking across the yard.

For a few years we had two different families going on. A family of great horned on one end of the yard and a family of screech owls on the other end. To hear a screech owl at night if you don't know what it is....

 

[lilranch2001]

That is interesting!

 

[cqaigy2]

Interesting stories.

 

[MoKelly]

Several owl stories:

Years ago we were headed to a family gathering and noticed an owl hanging funny on a fence. Kept driving and I realized that owls don't sit on a barbed wire fence with one wing stuck out for balance. Went back and wrapped the owl up with a towel but there was no untangling that one. My wife had a knife and we cut through a pile of feathers. It stood on the ground for a bit and then flew away. I was impressed with the wing span. 2.5' owl, 6'wing span.

We have a great horned nest on the yard. The neighbour wanted to get rid of a cat so I brought a mom and 3 kittens home. Mistake as the owl threaded her way through standing humans in the middle of the afternoon to go after momma cat. My wife said she could feel the air off of the wings. So I rehomed the cat and kittens to another neighbour.

A few days later a pair of Canada geese flew slowly through the yard at about 15-20' above the ground. All of a sudden there was a pile of squawking as the owl proceeded to dive bomb one of the Canadas. Yet I've never had an issue walking at night or anytime for that matter. I can stand and watch the young ones in the nest. I can talk to them at night when I'm walking across the yard.

For a few years we had two different families going on. A family of great horned on one end of the yard and a family of screech owls on the other end. To hear a screech owl at night if you don't know what it is....

After reading your story about the cat, I had to look up how many pets died due to owls. Pretty small number - but no help if it is your pet.

MoKelly

 

[Jstpssng]

After reading your story about the cat, I had to look up how many pets died due to owls. Pretty small number - but no help if it is your pet.

MoKellyView attachment 682622

That doesn't mention Fisher... a relatively common predator of cats here. One of the eeriest sounds which I"ve ever heard was a made by a cat which was getting chased by a fox. Talk about otherworldly...

 

[goeduck]

As large as eagles and owls can be they do not weigh much and really want to take their kill off by wing. They really do not have that much of a payload. Not to say they cannot consume on the spot but that is not their preferance.

 

[Ford850]

The main predator of skunks is the GHO.

 

[drssg]

Since everyone's telling owl stories, I was riding a horse in my indoor arena, and I heard a loud WHAP. A great horned owl had flown into the arena, and it slammed into a large mirror. I initially thought the impact killed it, because it flopped around on the ground for a bit and then went still. After a while, it regained consciousness, and it sort of watched me riding around on my horse with a rather dazed look.

I checked back later in the day, and it was gone. I suspect it got its wits back and lived happily ever after.