Or maybe Bud Bundy, too funny!
Tanager ?
Yeah I have never understood how some kids can be cruel to animals. 1st time I ever saw that sort of cruelty is emblazened upon my mind- I was 4 and out in front of our house, some kids maybe a bit older were w/ me and suddenly we saw a lizzard on the ground. I cannot tell you what the kids looked like or anything more specific than what follows. Suddenly one of the boys w/ heavy brown shoes (like the big bulky saddle oxford type of shoe only this was one color) turned one foot so that the edge of the sole of the shoe was on the lizzards tail, just where it attaches to the body and the boy started to grind, move back and forth, the sole and suddenly the lizzard ran one way- a way- and the tail stayed in front of us. The boy was laughing at how the tail continued to move though not attached. I was mortified and just stood there not knowing what to say- it was shocking and so awful. The image of that shoe has stayed w/ me 45+ years. I am sure he was Ted Bundy! ok probably not Ted but maybe a close second.
Too gruesome. A lot of boys, and some girls, too, are late in developing compassion for animals. And the ones that never do start out with animals and graduate to humans. EVERY serial killer (yes, EVERY) started out with animals. But that certainly doesn't mean every boy that kills ants with a magnifying glass will grow up to be a Dahmer.
I'm sorry to loop this thread back to an earlier point, but last night my husband and I actually saw a Great Horned Owl try to take a cat. We were out walking at twilight and noticed the silhouettes of two owls on a far neighbor's amateur radio antenna. We kept walking and turned up a street, and I pointed out a black cat that had just lept up to the top of a wall. Took a few more steps and MAD SCRABBLING NOISES made us turn to see... the cat leaping for its life and the owl swooping down. He floated right by us and landed on a street light. It's amazing how quiet those huge owls are, you can't hear a thing as they go by.
I know they do take small animals as others have posted, I've just never seen it before! No doubt the motion of the cat leaping up caught the eye of the owl...from VERY far away...and he was there in a heartbeat. What amazing hunters. The second owl soon showed up on a nearby post, and the two sat and talked to each other. It was a lovely moment to observe (for everyone except the cat, who is probably still under a bed somewhere.)
Sheri
I'm VERY glad to get the thread back to a good point! I saw some nature show about an owl. They set up a room with all kinds of obstacles and made it 100% pitch dark, then let an owl fly through it. It did not touch one single surface! It was amazing.
Poor kitty. Nothing less than an owl can sneak up on one of those.
I also saw one a Home Depot yesterday, magnificent fellow sitting up very high on a pallet of bark mulch. Our local Lowes and Home Depot both have nesting Great Horned Owls in their garden departments every year. We live within walking distance of Lowe's, so I think it's pretty likely the ones we saw were the "Lowe's owls" as we call them.
Seeing them sitting there is one thing...watching them in action is downright breathtaking. I'm glad I didn't get to witness the taking of a cat...I'm all for National Geographic moments, but that would have been a visual forever emblazoned in my memory banks! Makes me glad I'm not a ground squirrel, I tell you. They don't mess around.
betterbloom, I meant to say, that Vermillion Flycatcher is stunning. I don't have anything that exotic (color or name) in my yard for sure!
I have been seeing owls on the way to work here in the last few days. Its an amazing site even when its still pretty dark.
Oldmudhouse, You can't miss this one, brilliant, but hard to get close enought to take a pic. I didn't get the best camera on the market, but it does have a good zoom on it and that helps alot. Once in awhile I chase the birds in my old golf cart but they always make sure they are far enought ahead of me.
Saw a great horned the other night but flew away before I could get it's pic, darn! I might have to get my owl bait out here pretty soon.
I was talking about this thread with my son, and he told me he'd seen several owls a few days ago -- sitting on top of Dairy Queen in broad daylight! Talk about a Harry Potter moment!
Had a visit from the great horned today, right before dark..he was trying to catch a dove. It didn't catch it but left feathers all over the ground. It's been hanging around the area for awhile so I'm pretty sure it's going to be nesting pretty soon.
I read that they breed much earlier than other birds, choosing a mate by December and breeding in January and February. So you may be right, your owl may be house-hunting soon! (Maybe that's why they were at the Dairy Queen...first date?) :-)
The Olive Garden is right across the street -- would've made a MUCH better first impression!