Great Horned Owl

Every year, the Wildlife Rehab Center, now called The Wildlife Center of Texas, has an Open House so folks who volunteer can enjoy themselves for all they give to the Center. 

It's also for others in the community who make the donations that keep this wonderful rescue center alive. It's the one day they can get a rare tour of the facilities and see just what kind of work is done behind closed doors. No one who drop animals off (over 9,000 animals in 2011) and who is not a volunteer or from the nearby SPCA (of Animal Planets Cops Houston fame), is allowed in where the animals are, because it's a serious "hospital".  

The atmosphere is one of healing and relative calm, so traumatized and orphaned animals can do the important work of recovering so they can hopefully be released back in the wild in ship shape.

A few of these animals would never survive if released, due to broken wings that make them unable to fly, etc... These animals often become ambassadors for their species in the many educational programs the Center does within the community. And they come out for some of the visitors to see from a safe distance on this special Open House night. 

I came into contact with my first Great Horned owl on Open House night about 5 years ago. I was stunned and still am every time I'm privileged enough to be this close to one, and remain fascinated by their giant blinking eyes. See for yourself:

If you're an animal lover, and I know you are if you're reading this, please LIKE the Wildlife Center of Texas' Facebook page HERE. You will see wonderful photos and stories of the tremendous rescue and releases they do there every day, 24/7, 365 days of the year!

Owlet hatched!

Last night the first egg hatched, and the chick was making itself known with the sweetest little peeps, though buried under Molly's abundant feathers. It's name is Ashley, I believe after a niece or granddaughter in the Royal family... The second egg should hatch anytime tomorrow, Monday....

Guess it will be hard for many to get any work done tomorrow! :-)

Molly the Owl -- Surprise News!!!

For anyone who had been watching the Owl Cams from my links this spring, just as the babies flew the nest, MOLLY had a surprise second clutch of eggs -- 6 in all. She and McGee are such good parents, I guess it's not that much of a surprise, but there was a nice piece about the owls and Carlos and Donna Royal -- the couple who happened to set up the owl house with cameras in it in their back yard -- were on the TODAY show this morning.

They started out with 5 viewers, all family members, and as we who have checked it out (and could not stop watching) know, they have had over 15 million views from people like us all around the world. It's so compelling -- there is always something happening, especially at night, when Molly starts to vocalize. We know McGee is on his way. He flies in and they interact in very dramatic ways, as he brings her dinner. She dozes but never really sleeps as she carefully tends to the eggs, rotating each of the six again and again, tucking them under her with her beak and so on. They the eggs hatch, one by one -- which is as riveting and stomach churning as any final game of your favorite sports team or season cliffhanger of your favorite TV show. The chicks get named and we watch them grow --and grow and grow -- as McGee starts to fly in with meals more and more. Mom teaches the babies how to eat. Then they get bigger and bigger but they're all crowded into the little box. And finally, one day, each baby steps outside and flaps it's wings. One of those times it takes flight and lands on a nearby stand that may have been set up for that very thing. Then they become able to land on the owl house roof, which looks pretty cool. Eventually the nest is empty... but not anymore!!

Back to addiction watching, owlaholics! Here's the direct link again:

http://www.ustream.tv/theowlbox

For more personal stories of my own little visits with owls, you can click OWLS from the categories on the right.

PS: I haven't fact checked these but considering the source, I'm sure someone has. Here's a bunch of general info about owls from the Early Show website:

OWLS
Owls are nocturnal hunting birds. They are carnivores and closely related to hawks. Owls sleep during the day and emerge at night to hunt small prey. It is believed that there are a little over 200 species of owls in the world, inhabiting a huge variety of ecological niches, from rainforests to tundra. Owls have a large head and large eyes that face forwards (unlike other birds, whose eyes are on the sides of their head). This eye placement gives them binocular vision and very precise depth perception. Also, there are circles of radiating feathers surrounding each eye, giving them a wide-eyed, alert look. Owls cannot move their eyes within their sockets like we can. In order to look around, they have to move their entire head, which has a range of movement of about 280 degrees. They use their keen sense of sight to find prey in the dark (owls see mostly in black and white). They have an acute sense of hearing which also helps in finding meals. Owls are stealth hunters, they can easily sneak up on their prey since their fluffy feathers give them almost silent flight.

Barn Owls
The Barn Owl is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica. It is a medium-sized owl. White or mostly white underside. Heart-shaped, white face. Back tawny, marked with black and white spots. Long legs. The Barn Owl is one of the few bird species with the female showier than the male. The female is more heavily spotted. The spots may signal to a potential mate the quality of the female. The Barn Owl has excellent low-light vision, and can easily find prey at night by sight. Its ability to locate prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has ever been tested. The Barn Owl is the best pest control, eating approximately 1,000 mice a year. These owls are often associated with ghost stories because they fly silently, their white coloring makes them appear to be floating in the night, and their call sounds like chains rattling. The Barn Owl dwells beyond the forest and lives in manmade structures such as barns.

Screech Owls
These small owls are widespread and common. The Screech Owl is found in nearly every habitat throughout the eastern United States and southern Canada. It is common in urban as well as rural areas and readily nests in nest boxes. It is one of the smallest species. It has feathered ear tufts and is highly camouflaged. Gray, brownish gray, or reddish-brown. Screech Owl pairs usually are monogamous and remain together for life. Found in most habitats with trees, including urban and suburban areas. They are great insect control, and also eat crayfish, earthworms, songbirds, rodents. A screech owl was featured in the Harry Potter movies as one of the Weasley's pets.

Barred Owls
A large owl of extensive woodlands, the Barred Owl is familiar for its distinctive "who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all" hooting. Head round with no ear tufts. Great Horned Owl is the most serious predatory threat to the Barred Owl. Although they often live in the same areas, the Barred Owl will avoid parts of its territory occupied by a Great Horned Owl. They eat small mammals, rabbits, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. They live in forested areas, from swamps and riparian areas to uplands. Barred Owls typically hunt at night or at dusk by sitting on a high perch and looking and listening for prey, which they catch with a short flight or drop to the ground. Barred Owls can be aggressive, flying at and fighting rivals at the edges of their territory.

Great Horned Owls
Found from the Arctic tundra to the tropical rainforest, from the desert to suburban backyards, the Great Horned Owl is one of the most widespread and common owls in North America. It is a large owl with prominent ear tufts widely spaced on head. These feathered ear tufts are not ears, but are part of the owl's camouflage. Although they are one of the largest species, they are not heavy because they have hollow bones. The Great Horned Owl is one of the only animals that regularly eats skunks, because they don't have a sense of smell and their eyes have built in goggles that protect them if they get sprayed. They will take large prey, even other raptorial birds, even regularly killing and eating other owls. Broad diet of animals, from small mammals to rabbits, geese, and herons, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates, but mostly mammals. Uses a variety of nest sites, including trees, cliffs, buildings, and the ground. Does not make its own nest. Typically takes over nests in trees made by other bird species. They have a traditional hoot.

Thanks to earthsky.org and Shireen Gonzaga for the photo of Molly and babes.

Baby Barn Owl update

Whether or not the temps are going crazy where we live, spring is definitely here... The best proof of it is that the animal world is having babies, babies, babies.

You may or may not be a fan of how much technology has become a part of our lives. I straddle the fence on that issue, but I have to say being able to see a close up of a Bald eagle sitting on her nest, then watching eggs hatch and seeing the babies grow until they fly away has been a miracle afforded only by the fact that cameras and the internet exist.... and the good people who set all of it up and run the video. Come to think of it, if you and I have been enjoying all these links, it probably would be a pretty good thing to donate to them... even the cost of a Starbucks for one day. Or better yet, the price of a movie if you've been watching a lot. I'm going to be sure I do that this weekend, and I didn't think of it until I started writing this!

One link I've been watching a lot is the owl cam with Molly the mother, and McGee the dad, who hunts and does a great job of bringing she and the babies food, while she sits on the nest. At first she tirelessly turned them, and, after positioning her legs just so, sat back down on them to keep them just the right temp. Though she dozed a lot, she never seemed to get more than a minute or two of sleep before she adjusted again. Then we watched as the fist egg hatched Max, then the second, third, and fourth.... only leaving the nest twice each night for a a minute or two to stretch her wings and poop.












McGee's dramatic entrances (she starts making a clicking noise and he flies in with a field mouse and they screech a lot before he flies off) are not to be missed. Watching the little ones baby barn owl faces, their dark eyes blinking, those little wings lifting and sprouting fuzzy feathers is just fabulous. At any given time they have tens of thousands of people watching world wide.

CLICK HERE to see or go to: http://www.ustream.tv/theowlbox

I'm telling you, even if you're not into owls, it's a must see.... you will become a fan! The cameras go to infared at night, because they are so active then. But no matter what time of day you tune in, there's something going on. Right now I'm watching mom feed them little strips of meat as their heads bob out from under her body!

thank you to www.slcrr.org/ wildbirds.html for the barn owl with rodent picture and to www.owltime.co.uk/ Creche.htm for the pic of the baby owls

I Spy A Golden Eye

I may feel like I'm not as sharp as I used to be in so many ways (I word search, am tired way too often, can be distracted by the multitasking overwhelm that modern life has become) BUT when I'm in nature, I'm highly alert. Every formerly dull sense is tuned in to the smallest of things. If something flickers in the lake, if there is a small movement in the trees, if there is a barely audible cry I pick up on it like I have SUPERPOWERS!

So I was out walking one early summer afternoon in The Park and there was the tiniest rustling.  I wasn't quite sure what had gotten my attention, just that it had. There was a ghostly sense of something, almost imperceptible really. I could not be sure I wasn't just mistaken. I squinted into the blue sky and the mass of newly full, vibrant lime green leaves and even with glasses on, could not make anything out. 

I just took a picture of the general area that got my attention, figuring if there was something there I might see it if I went home and enlarged the pic.
Sure enough, the below is what I got when I cropped it!!!!!

How cool is that? Owls are so mysterious, and usually are heard and not seen. I've just recently seen owls up close --which is saying a lot considering I've lived half a century. I saw one flying out of the smoke when I was stranded on the side of the one and only road during a giant fire on the island of Maui, the night before I eloped. Under the circumstances, I considered that it might be a spirit totem or something (either that or the prenuptial fire was a sign, lol). It had a very long wingspan but an abnormally large head for a regular bird, which until then were the only ones I'd seen. The eyes were so large and dark, and while all it's feathers stretched out when it was in flight, the fluffiness of it's head remained the same and that accounted for the proportion. It's one of those moments I'll never forget. 

Flash forward two years and I was face to face with several owls at The Center which you can read about HERE for starters (or simply click on the tag OWLS to your left on this page...).

Maybe one of you can identify what kind of owl it is. I know what kind it isn't. Not a screech owl... not a barn owl, not a great horned owl.  Any birders out there know? 

A Little Visit with a Very Little Owl

You may remember the first little introduction to this charming little screech owl at the rehab center. This little guy likes to sit and watch everyone in silence. All day he has a ringside view of the action -- every animal someone brings in, every VIP visitor, every volunteer goes by his cage or the front lobby, where on special days he enjoys perching in this little log house.



CLICK HERE if you'd like to see the other post I mentioned above.

UP!

Another thing I did for the first time Wednesday was to put on a really thick, long glove and got to put this outrageously handsome bird back in his cage. He was staring me down with those HUGE golden eyes and his beak, which wasn't far, looked sharper than his talons, so I put on protective glasses too.

You hold your wrist straight at his legs and press into them a little and say "UP". That should make those strong claws grab onto the glove. Then you hold your hand up and higher than your shoulder. The bird feels comfortable being high up and he won't feel the need to try to fly away. If your arm starts to sag with the weight, birds will start to crawl up to reach the height they see on your shoulder, or hey, maybe your head. OK with a parrot, but not these killer feet!


Look at him!!! Magnificent! His life was saved by the Wildlife Rehab and Education Center but he was not able to be released into the wild, which is their main goal. If an animal can't get away from predators or eat properly, or are not 100% in the noggin due to some kind of fall or accident, they are kept by the center, or a zoo or the like to be an ambassador for their species. Hence the educational part of the Center's title.

This bird as well as the Peregrine Falcon, the Red Tailed Hawk, the Screech Owl and the Hedgehog go out for public talks and do a great service. But to take them out, they have to be trained a little, so they behave well in public and so their own stress level is minimized.

He was sitting out because Kinky Freeman came to visit, with a small group of folks he had with him. I guess he was speaking for the SPCA the next day, and has some kind of animal preserve of his own. This owl was part of the welcoming committee.

Then I got to put away the gorgeous and fluffy Red Tailed Hawk. Neither bird cooperated so well on my first try but that's what you have the leg straps for. They have custom made little leather leg straps and gromets in the center where they can attach to a rope, so if they do fly, they don't go very far. It's as much for their own safety as ours. It was easier with the Hawk than the Owl. And after the initial moment of taking in what I'd learned wore off, it hit me what I'd just done.

I may have lost the thrill of New York City but Mother Nature is a formidible match. I just can't believe I get to do this stuff!

Today I checked on the baby owl. He's grown into his big eyes at least, but still seems fairly helpless. A little less wobbly, and very fuzzy. I took a few seconds of video and a picture...


The pic below (without the cage door between us) is a little blurry because I snapped it quickly. I had several rows of opossum babies who I wanted to give fresh milk and water to. But I could not resist the chance to document his growth. I learn so much every day that I do this work.

Right across from him were twin great horned owls, who are what the baby will grow into. As you can see from their equal fuzziness, they are still not adults, but they are strong, able to stand on their own. Aren't they just a fabulous sight? Click on the pic to enlarge.

(PS: CLICK HERE and HERE to see past pictures of the baby over the last few weeks)

Fuzzy Silly

If you CLICK HERE you can see a few pictures of the baby great horned owlet that we have been raising. That time he was being coy, and had his back to the camera. This time I saw him in his tank with his stunning eyes facing front, and he was doing goofy baby owl things. I grabbed my camera and took a quick little video.




Isn't he funny? The sparse little fluff covering him is called down. It will be weeks (45 days in all) before he begins to grow real feathers. He's so wobbly -- unlike baby ducks and chicks, owlets can't get up and walk... they must wait for their mother to bring them food for the first 5 weeks. Those babies have to be pretty darn patient to wile the hours away unable to do much but sit and wait for meals. By 10 weeks they make their first hesitant forays out of the nest.

We feed him several rat pups (not live) a day, to duplicate how his mom might return to the nest with something she'd caught. At least this little one has no competition for meals with any brothers or sisters. I bet he's going to grow up to be so handsome and graceful... though you'd never know it with the way he looks and acts now

Destined to be a Great Horned Own

We got a baby great horned owl in to the Wildlife Rehab abotut a week ago. Here he is looking silly sitting around in his little enclosure.

He looks half plucked and fuzzy, unkept, bent beaked and like he might not have use of his legs. Click on the photo below to see it enlarged -- This fella's a little Benjamin Buttonesque, wouldn't you say? But he is perfectly fine.. he just doesn't have a mommy. Except us of course! We clean up after him, give him a soft place to sleep, feed him all he needs so he can grow into his beautiful eyes. Those big, golden, mezmerising eyes are the only sign of what's to come.

Because you see, when he grows up, he will be among the most handsome and mysterious birds on earth in my opinion. Here's an idea of what he'll look like:

I took a little movie of him today, doing cute things in his cage which I will upload and post in the next few days, so please come back-- this little guy is quite amusing to see in motion.

The Tell Tale Tongue

As I wrote about HERE, and HERE, owls fascinate me, and I'm quite certain I'm not alone in that. The other day the head of the wildlife rehab shocked me when she told me I could pet the owl. This is one that is used for educational purposes, so getting used to different people is part of his or her life (She said you generally can't tell if owls and hawks and such are male or female -- unless there is a major size difference -- without it being determined surgically. Females would possibly be bigger, to better cover and protect her nest).


Anyway she told me to scratch with my nails behind the head, as owls do that to each other. She also scratches them under the wings. I tried these as you will see below. He got something in his eye when we brought him over to the perch, some feather fluff or something, so he keeps it closed. Would not do that normally. Too bad, as you can see from one eye how intense it would be if (s)he had both open!


This was the second time I did it. The first time, the owl's mouth was open a little, but the tongue was not so obvious. This time I didn't feel right when that was happening, so I tried a few calmer strokes and wrapped it up quickly. Didn't want to upset the bird. I'm just now wondering if my holding the little silver camera was the problem. Maybe it looks like something a vet would use!

Getting the chance to see these birds without a cage and up close is a magnificent thrill. To touch one was utterly surreal.I can't get over how lucky I am. My life has been enriched beyond measure to be able to be near, help, love and share the world with all of these animals.

This is my 108th post. 108 is a significant number in many spiritual teachings. Since I missed my hundredth, I thought the 108th would be something to mention. One hundred and eight stories about animals. I look forward to ten times more.

Give a Hoot

I went by the Wildlife Rehab and Education Center today and found this little group of guys. Three baby barn owls! (double click on the pic to see them close up)

I'd never seen a live owl before a year ago, and suddenly I am seeing them everywhere... like when I was in Hawaii to elope and we got caught in a forest fire ... I saw my first ever owl flying out of the grey smoke. He sailed right past my head and vanished into the ash behind me before I could really register what it was. It was eerie.  I felt I'd been visited by a spirit totem.

I saw the next one in a suburban tree when I visited a friend an hour north of Houston, such a paradox to my first experience, which is what's so cool about it.  Several times after that, I've seen this gorgeous bird on the grounds of the zoo when his Keeper decides to take him out for visitors to see one up close....

Maybe it's like that unexplainable thing that happens when something enters your consciousness, you suddenly have a heightened awareness of it. After 2 years of visiting the park almost daily without incident, I saw a very small one flying through the treetops one day last spring. I even managed to get a picture... Because it was so small, I couldn't identify it for sure until I got home, downloaded the picture and blew it up. Having gone my entire life never seeing anything other than the plastic owls on buildings or in gardens or maybe on a picture postcard, I think it's pretty amazing that I should see so many all of the sudden. 

Now, at the Rehab Center, I am adding to my collection of sightings  -- there is the the teeny weeny screech owl I posted a movie of a week or so ago (CLICK HERE), and this astonishing barn owl below, which is what the trio of babies at the top of the page will grow up to look like. I know they are quite common but I had never seen one with like this before. I mean, look at that face!  

They're fascinating birds, so beautiful and mysterious.  Have you ever had an owl encounter? 

A Leetle Teeny Weeny Owl

Oh, this is a good little thing to watch. And not because this little Eastern screech owl does much. It's just because he is so mesmerizing. He blinks with an inner lid that's clear with a black edge, so it looks a little like each eye has windshield wipers. And while he blinks in unison often, they are independent of each other which you will see here.

If you listen closely as the vid begins you can hear a little twitter he does, perhaps a comment on being the unwitting star of my 2o seconds of film. I'm sorry it's so short but I didn't really want to disturb him too much. I solve this by watching it twice!


Though technically nocturnal, this guy sits peacefully all day and watches the goings on at the rehab center. I think it's a he because males are generally smaller than females. While girls are a little over 9" in length with a wingspan of around 22 inches, males are about an inch less in both, though they often weigh about the same -- 7 oz, give or take a leetle teeny weeny bit.

The males also have a lower voice than the ladies. And I've read they have quite a courting ritual, which does indeed include winking, and they mate for life. They usually nest in cavities of trees, adding nothing of the usual twigs, grass or feathers. Their 2-8 eggs (one every two days) are lain on the natural barky shavings that exist in the tree's hollows. In 26 days, the babies are born. The male then brings home the mouse, mole, lizard or worm, which is rather nice to know. Their menu is wide and more about what's the right size for them than anything else.

They hunt in the woods, and occasionally in open fields (though there I think they run the risk of being someone else's dinner). They will fly or look out from a perch and then nab their meal with their talons. Sometimes they get insects while they're flying! That takes talent.

The fledgelings have about a month to learn to be an owl. That seems fast to me but maybe it's enough by screech school standards. In captivity they can live up to 20 years -- far longer than in the wild. Believe it or not, they are the prey of not only the expected snakes, raccoons, skunks and weasels but several larger owl species! Just thinking of predators for this little guy makes me kind of glad he is safe and content where he is, charming everyone who walks by.