testtest

A Wildlife Rescue

Keystone19250

Keystone19250

SAINT
I received a phone call today about an Owl trapped in the basement of a prominent government official in Louisville, how the Owl got in is a mystery. One theory is through the dryer vent. I was able to secure the Owl without incident and release it back into the woods near the house.
7838F6E5-FC98-4E92-A118-6ABA5981CF4A.jpeg
8016C478-89AE-49E2-9F82-3413704ECC2F.jpeg
B51C0553-0B23-4277-B116-A7056F7D3B7A.jpeg
49D80388-231E-4732-A691-70CB8EF8C140.jpeg
EA3599BE-1D12-4C7B-87B2-A27B40D5B0AE.jpeg
71C9E7C1-2487-4F59-989A-7245F1DFB9AC.jpeg
 
I was involved in a hunting camp for many years and at night after supper we would often sit around the fire with a toddy and tell each other lies. We would sometimes leave on one small light above the skinning rack and in just a few minutes the top crossbeam would be holding 3-4 large, adult Barred owls. It was a riot to watch them push/shove for dominance on a beam that was only one height. (The alfa is always trying to be on a higher perch than all others.)

But then occasionally the noise would stop, it would be dead quiet for a few seconds, then one or two would swoop down, completely silent except for the air over their wings, glide out across the yard, sometimes 30, 40, 50 yds and sweep up a mouse or rat right out of the grass. Really something to watch.

Some would have a nearly 4' wingspan and could pick up a full grown cotton-tailed rabbit and fly off with it. More often than not though would settle down right after catching/rolling a rodent or other small game and start tearing it apart.

Kudos to Keystone for the work he does. Nature is a true wonderment!
 
Wow! Never realized just how much he looks like a 'Spotted' owl till I saw the picture (your first pic) of him sitting on the shelf under the duct. Maybe due to the coloring in the pic and being inside, but he sure does, at least to me. Great pictures BTW! (y)(y):)

My long gone garndpa would have said ..... "Ya done good son, ya done good!"
 
Barred owls are originally an Eastern species but invaded the west coast/Intermountain west back in the 80's by coming across the boreal forest in Canada then spreading down through British Columbia, WA state, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Being a cousin of the Spotted owl they interbreed and are diluting the original Spotted owl population.

From the back they look very similar plus the dark eyes. But from the front the chest area has brown spots scattered across the whitish chest for the Spotted owl, vs vertical dark stripes on the Barred owl.

Picks from back-in-day in western Oregon.

1606783722160.png


We used domestic (white) mice from pet stores to let the Spotteds to swoop down and grab them, & then we followed (more like ran) the birds through the old-growth Forests when they took the prey item back to their nest to feed the young. Then documented the site for further study and mapping of individual pairs' territory.

The Spotted owl is limited to the area west of the Cascade crest, except for some slopping over to the east-side a little bit. But there's another subspecis called the Mexican spotted owl that inhabits the SW area of CO, and through Arizona & New Mexico.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top