Popular Post Tom King Posted December 12, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 I went out to give the horses some hay, and there was this little Owl sitting on one of the stall walls. I went back to the house (75 feet away), and brought back Pam, and the camera. The Owl just sat there while we went about our business, and wasn't even bothered by the flash. Pam says it's a Screech Owl. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 That’s cool! We have some here, believe it or not. To me, they sound like a horse whining. If spellcheck did that right? I’m thinking whinnying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 He might come in handy to have around. Don't barns usually have rodents for him to eat ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 7 hours ago, K Cooper said: That’s cool! We have some here, believe it or not. To me, they sound like a horse whining. If spellcheck did that right? I’m thinking whinnying? Horses whinny. Unless they're complaining...then it's whining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 One of the eeriest moments in my life was having a great horned overtake me at night from behind and brush my ear as he overflew my shoulder. I think it was using my loud snow crunching to mask its dive into a bank some yards ahead. I never heard it in flight or saw it until I felt it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted December 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 9 hours ago, wdwerker said: He might come in handy to have around. Don't barns usually have rodents for him to eat ? That's what barn cats are for. Although our only remaining barn cat is pretty old now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 Awe man that's cool owls are neat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattF Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 Thats awesome. I think Owls are pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bankstick Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 Quote That's what barn cats are for. I would rather have the owl. I suggest that you build an owl box and place it in a tree close to the barn. Look at youtube or contact your state wildlife agency for plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted December 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 I like the idea of a box, but it's not like I don't have anything to do. They have 300 acres of woods, and we've heard them a lot over the years. This says they like the edge of a forest, and they have plenty to chose from here along the pastures, and roads. I did find plans, but the to-do list is already too long. https://www.wildlifecenter.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/Nestbox/Eastern Screech-owl Nest Box Plans.pd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 A great horned owl might take care of that barn cat if she’s too old & slow ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted December 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 He's old, but not that slow yet. He's a big boy, and has always been a great hunter. He showed up sleeping on one of our farm dogs (strays just show up, and stay), years ago. We could never get anywhere close to him. In fact, we thought he was a she for a long time. Finally, Pam tricked him into a crate, and she carried "her" to the vet to get spayed. The Vet called, and said they didn't spay her, but neutered him. He slept on that dog for several years. This picture is probably 12 or 14 years old. He would have to open the screen door to come in, and still does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 Cool picture Tom. The owl almost blends in with the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted December 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 That top board it's sitting on is a 2x10, so you can see it's a little guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatCharlieDude Posted December 13, 2017 Report Share Posted December 13, 2017 That's a really cool picture. Cute little owl. We have owls in our area. Been woken up several times from owls calling from our roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post estesbubba Posted December 13, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 13, 2017 Owls are so cool. We’ve been on our property for 9 years now and a barred owl pair has been around the entire time. Here is one of them behind my shop. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bankstick Posted December 13, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 13, 2017 We have a red tail hawk that hangs out in our back yard. We have lots of squirrels and various birds so there is a buffet for the hawk. A friend who has show dogs cautioned us about leaving our mixed breed Chihuahuas outside as they make a fine meal. Attached is a photo my wife took a few days ago. A couple of weeks ago, we had one on the deck railing and one on the ground by the storage building. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted December 13, 2017 Report Share Posted December 13, 2017 A couple of hawks are great for pest control, as in reducing the population of pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted December 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2017 We have all sorts of hawks, and even a Bald Eagle nest in our woods. The numbers of Ospreys seems to go up every year. We see the Eagles more often than the hawks. When the young Eagles are first learning to hunt, they start by diving on ducks, but I've never seen one catch a duck. They find out real fast why they are called a duck. The young Eagles have no white on them. It's amazing how long they will keep trying to get a duck. I've seen a number of Great Horned Owls, but only ever seen one Barred Owl, and this was the fist encounter with a Screech Owl. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted December 14, 2017 Report Share Posted December 14, 2017 @Bankstick I think that’s a picture of a Cooper’s hawk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted December 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2017 I vote Sharp Shinned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatCharlieDude Posted December 14, 2017 Report Share Posted December 14, 2017 This time of year our family plays "count the hawks." I saw 6 of them around the neighborhood one afternoon. Their numbers seem to be growing in this area which is wonderful. We certainly have enough for them to eat around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bankstick Posted December 14, 2017 Report Share Posted December 14, 2017 Thanks for the ID's. Will forward to a friend who is a state wildlife officer for a positive ID. I have been fishing near here and seen osprey diving on fish, probably the one I should have caught. I have seen eagles flying over the trout section of the Hiwassee River near Reliance, TN. There is a nesting platform on the Hiwassee River on Hwy 60 on the way to Dayton, TN. If you pull over on the wide shoulder on the bridge, you can see it on the downstream side of the bridge. I have seen bald eagles on the nest in times past. Just thought- I recall a remote camera on an eagle's nests somewhere. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southwood Posted December 15, 2017 Report Share Posted December 15, 2017 It's the Great Christmas Owl, everybody know's that, right 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bankstick Posted December 16, 2017 Report Share Posted December 16, 2017 https://feederwatch.org/learn/tricky-bird-ids/coopers-hawk-and-sharp-shinned-hawk/ Coopoer's hawk based on the length of the tail feathers, according to my wildlife officer friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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