I think it is a Barred Owl. It let me get 20' from it!!!
I took pics and kept moving closer. 20' was as close as I could get without having to go around the pens via woods. Full zoom ='d full frame pics so I am very happy ;-) Wow it was hard to hold Q beam in one hand and a camera side ways in the other and take pics. The Q beam was so hvy and my bad neck/shoulder arm at the moment but it was worth the pain
pic 2
first pic and most distant pic. It is sitting just behind the end of my Aviary over looking the chicken runs. He is trying to help me get rid of the rats lol
What great pictures, Donna! It does look like a barred owl to me. Are they threatened there? They're listed as threatened and endangered here.
Oh how beautiful! Hope He doesnt have a taste for Chicken! Hope it gets all your mice and keeps full!
Owls are so cool! Great photos!
Oh he's gorgeous, Donna! What a thrill that must have been for you to see him. Thanks for sharing his pic.
OH look at those claws,no wonder chickens can`t get away from them.I had a snowy owl here years ago and he was beautiful,had to be careful when I let my dog out because at that time had a little one.
he is soooo beautiful. I can't believe he wasn't afraid of me. It may have been he was to hungry. I will start going out to the pens with a flash a couple of times a night to send any rats running towards him lol and keep it well fed
GG I don't know if they are endangered here or not/or U.S.wide. I can look it up on the Endangered Species list
Wow Donna! Those pictures look like National Geographic! You are so blessed! Amazing.. No wonder you were so worried about poison.. That is one awesome animal.. Thank you for sharing!!!
I am very excited about it coming. I just pray it doesn't get a rat that has eaten poison
Good for you, Donna.
We have a pair in our neighborhood and I also heard one call when I was visiting friends in Wisconsin. You can listen to their calls on the internet so you will be able to recognize them. It is a nice sound and we love to listen for them.
Excellent pic's Donna, he is beautiful. Donna I also have a Q beam and I just love it. Mine plugs into the cigarette lighter though, it lights up like daylight. It shows like daylight two blocks away.
I think that owl would have to eat much more than one poisoned rat to do it any harm...Hay
Also.. if there are that many rats available.. my bet is that he wouldn't pick one that is dead or dying.. ;)
At my old place I used to watch a pr of Barn Owls that would come and sit side by side on my fence. Never could get a pic as it was wide open yard and 100' from the house. no where for me to hide
oh I did get a pic of a Eastern Screech Owl though on my front porch through the glass door. It was after a Hawkmoth under my porch light also at my old place
When I was caretaker at the thoroughbred ranch, there were barn owls... One time, when I was on top of the stack of hay.. (couldn't bring myself to say Haystack) I stepped onto the other side over a huge crack and heard this horrible hissss Looked down and momma owl and 3 babiez were looking up at me.. I just about fainted.. LOL I have a picture somewhere... but it's not on a computer.. :(
I also took a picture of the eggs from my flock, back then no one believed I had colored eggs! LOL
Donna, I think a poisoned rat would definitely poison an owl, so here's hoping that doesn't happen.
Barred owls have a call that sounds like "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-allllll" and it's very distinctive.
oh ZZ if you find the pic please post it. I would love to see it.
Now I am wondering if it is a good idea to have the Owl. When I went out to clean the Aviary I could see mounds of dirt in several places. Rats are in my Aviary now. They never bothered it before. I flooded the hole and Killed 7 big Adult Rats. The roof of the Aviary is cover 38' of the 40' it is long. The Owl can't see them in there. And the absolute worst of it is as I went from hole to hole the last hole had my Breeder Fulvous Whistling Duck hens head and neck down the rat hole and she was dead behind her next box. I don't know if she got dragged down it when she was dabbling the hole or if she got stuck in it. There isn't a mark on her. Just some dirt on her bill. But her body was up in the air like something tried to drag her down head first. My ducks love to root out holes. They are mudboggers. I am really sad. Glad I haven't sold off the babies yet as I now need another hen. I can brred Daddy to daughter safely 1 x which will give me lots of Silvers since the babies are all splits. Waiting on my Federal Permits. Has been a month and they haven't even cashed my check yet. They say it takes about 3 months
I'm so sorry to hear that Donna! You sure need a break from all this trouble!
That is how my tiny Serama hen Tina was! 1/2 way down a hole, and I thought she was dying.. Like something was trying to get her in the hole, but it couldn't. She was nearly frozen, and very weak, but she survived. I think it's a big rat.. Especially now after hearing your story!!
Sorry but I'm laughing to hard ZZ's to make any comment...LOL Speaking of an earlier comment...
This message was edited Feb 14, 2011 6:27 PM
I saw that Hay lol
I am just sick over it ZZ. At least I got my revenge on 7 big ones
I knew it! LOL Gotcha Haystack!! LOL
What about when I fell off THE haystack..
hit the barn wall, bounced off the truck and hit the ground.. Krystal about split a gut laughing.. (she was really little) Until she saw I was hurt..... Cody was 13 days old.. I thought I broke both arms and legs.. Krystal had to call 911 from the barn.. Ended up okay.. but had to spend the night in the hosp cause of my heart..
Im sorry for your pain but, guess I'd just say don't mess with any Haystacks...ROTFLMBO
ROFL U 2
LOL You won that one.. LOL
I've gotta ask the neighbor if I can use his hose to flood out that rat... poison isn't getting it.. I'm afraid it will reproduce if I don't get it soon...
