owls

Here we go again!

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A Great Horned Owl was hanging around a home and twice found under the church pew on their front porch. It would not fly off or very high off the ground. They didn’t want dogs or coyotes to kill it, so me, Ed and

Marvin Ann went out to catch it. It really wasn’t a problem with a couple of dip nets, so definitely something wrong with it.

After a Petco trip to purchase a little grub for it until I get a return call from one of the Raptor people, it is safe in our pet crate and hopefully, eating the crickets, meal worms and the pinkie mouse. It actually took the mouse from my tongs, but spit it right back at me.

Thanks to Kayla and Josh for coming out and meeting us with the crate and to Kayla for this picture.

Say a little prayer for this beauty, we’re not having much success in handing them off and them living. We will still always give it our best shot though.

UPDATE: I have received a return call and will be taking the owl to Bonham tomorrow afternoon to meet a rehabber. There’s the first step!

Picture by my niece, Kayla

Picture by my niece, Kayla

Owl News

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If you’re my Facebook friend, you already know the Great Horned Owl we tried to help didn’t make it. I knew it was very lightweight and already weak or I could never have caught it. Turns out, the foot was really mangled and Erich, with the Raptor Center, said they couldn’t imagine how he had broken it like that. He also speculated it had been without food for eight or nine days. The stress of handling it and in its already weakened state, that beautiful bird did not survive. Unfortunately, it would not have survived if left alone either, so at least it died in comfortable surroundings and not in the mouth of a predator.

Just once I hope to help a bird in time to make a difference.

This experience will not keep me from trying.

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The other owl news involves our little friend, Hooty. For the second day in a row, he was home! He definitely lifted my spirits today.

He was so very sleepy in his beautiful sunshine bathed spot.

Hooty, the Eastern Screech Owl

 

 

 

Our Little Part-time Resident

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So, every other day now? Whatever, Hooty, what-EVER! 🙂

Hooty - the Eastern Screech Owl

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No news on the Great Horned Owl. I’ve emailed Erich, but I did not get a reply. I will try again tomorrow if he doesn’t answer today’s email inquiry.

Another Adventure with an Owl

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A Great Horned Owl was having trouble and I’m thankful my friends contacted me.

Here’s the story I shared on Facebook.

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Just after lunch today, my friend and her daughter spotted this Owl and Aysnlie sent a message and pictures saying it was on the side of the road as you come into Petty. Ed and I went up there and determined something must be wrong with it as it wouldn’t fly but a short distance and I eventually captured it in another friend’s carport by throwing my coat over it.

After getting it secured in a pet crate, I called Erich Neupert with the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center who in turn called Dr. Gerome in Bonham. Marvin Ann rode with me and we delivered the bird to the vet clinic and Erich will pick it up there.

We could finally see inside the carrier it has a messed up toe/foot and not sure what else, but makes sense why it might be weak and approachable.

Thanks, Aynslie and Lovie, for caring! Hopefully, this beauty can be rehabbed and released, keep your fingers crossed!

p.s. Ever taken a selfie with a Great Horned Owl? 😉

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The one on the ground is from my Nikon and the other four are from my phone.

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I swear I don’t know why I have owls constantly in my life. I sure hope it is a sign of something good!!!

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Owl-ly News

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I had a good afternoon, a good day really, but for now only sharing a little owl news.

Remember I saw the Great Horned Owl fly in front of the vehicle in front of me at dusk several days ago?

Well, this afternoon my friend and neighbor sent a message to let me know about an owl perched on a post across the highway from the second turnoff into our little community. I thanked him, grabbed my camera and was rewarded with the beauty still resting and sunning in the same spot.

I was thrilled to say the least and certainly leaning towards the fact this is probably the same owl since it was only about a half-mile from the last sighting.

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I haven’t mentioned my little Hooty friend in a while. I diligently kept up with my calendar —>> the Hooty Calendar over there for a while, but gave it up when he stopped hanging around. And actually, hanging around is a not a great description of his activities the last couple of months. He was in his tree a total of three days and only seen once in the nest box… and that’s it!

I last spotted him on December 18 in the box and that’s just too long ago for my liking.

However, I fed our many dogs this evening right at dusk and guess what I heard?

That’s right!

I could hear Eastern Screech Owls calling back and forth. One was east of me and the other was back west. I walked and walked hoping to spot them, but every time I could hear their calls, it seemed as if it was from another direction although I never saw them flying. That means nothing though. They make no noise in flight and they are small and could easily have flown behind me and I would have never known.

Now, all that to say, THEY ARE STILL HERE!

I don’t know where they are hanging in the daytime hours while sleeping and resting, but you can bet I’m going to be searching my neighbor’s yards a little more carefully tomorrow.

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It’s been an awesome afternoon and evening. I am easily entertained and happy tonight.

Great Horned Owl at Dusk

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I was excited and a little bit nervous for just a moment when we were nearly to the turnoff to our little community out on the highway earlier this evening. An owl flew right in front of the vehicle in front of me and landed on a sign on the side of the road. I made it down to our turn and quickly returned. I stopped and took a few shots a good distance away so as not to scare it, but of course they were grainy with the low light.

And then I eased closer until I was parked directly across the two-lane from this beauty. I used my flash which caused even more problems, but you know me, I have to share them after highly editing both shots. The one with the flash did not look very good at all, but with painted effects, it’s a keeper!

I am always happy to see owls, big or small! I just hope that one decides to hunt somewhere other than the highway, it very nearly met its demise.

Owl Stories everywhere!

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I got a Facebook message last night from a friend of a friend asking if I could help an injured owl. She had hit it with her vehicle and knew it had a broken leg. I called and left a message with the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, but in the meantime, someone else got her in contact with a rehabber in Oklahoma. It didn’t sound like a good situation cause they could see the bone was broken and bleeding, but at least they were getting it to someone who could further access its condition.

When I received my returned call from Erich at the raptor center, I asked about Marvin Ann’s Great Horned Owl with the injured eye we delivered to him this past Thursday. Unfortunately, that little guy didn’t make it. Erich said the eye was punctured, deflated and infected and the bird was more emaciated than he originally thought. It had no muscle tone and could not keep any liquids down. They estimate it had been injured for several days and without food.

At least they all tried and that’s what is important.

I’ll ask Jennifer about the one with the broken leg in a day or two, but my ol’ pessimistic mindset tells me that one was not in a good situation without a specialist to repair that bone, that is if it was repairable. I’ll let you know if I learn anything.

 

 

Owl update and another critter

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I heard a Screech Owl when I was outdoors last night, ran in and got my flashlight and found a red morph sitting high in the tree just east of “his” tree. I was excited to know they are still around and after seeing more than one red morph in the birdbath this summer, I have no idea if the one I saw last night was actually our Hooty. No matter, I’m a happy owl watcher just to know there is at least one still hanging around.

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I took family photos this afternoon at the walking trail out by the civic center. I had no idea until the family told me that an armadillo was crashing our photo session. And you know what I did? Oh, of course you do! I turned and started shooting it, definitely fun, even with my 50mm lens on. I could have taken pictures of the critter for days, but I had to get back to the family session and not the wildlife photo op… darn it!

The little booger never was startled at all, just finally turned and went on its way. I suppose something happened to its armor where the pink parts are. I really have no idea about them at all other than they are almost prehistoric looking and so ugly they are cute.

And yes, I was that close to it, these are only cropped a little and I certainly did miss the focus on the second one, but left it anyway. Did you know they had such hairy legs?

Armadillo

Armadillo