Owls and other kinds of Owls!
Barred Owl
Another busy Owl night this evening!! Obviously looking at the photos . . . . I captured my first Barred Owl for the season!! Yes, I did get taloned on the finger by this bird but nothing too bad! 😦
This was an excellent migration night with North-West winds and colder temperatures pushing the birdies South. The brighter moon slowed things down quickly (as the moon got higher in the sky) but I was able to band 6 Northern Saw-whet Owls (before closing at midnight). Below you can see the video of the Barred Owl being released but I do have to apologize for the video being a little dark.
Ok, I am off to bed! Night and don’t let the bed bugs bite!
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 
Nice catch!!We’ve yet to get one of those! Had something larger around tonight though and managed 13 Swets.
29 October 2007 at 1:20 am
Until I began visiting your blog, I was unaware that owls were migratory. The ones where I live (Hawaii) are not, maybe because they have nowhere to go! (We have one endemic owl species, and one introduced species that I know of.)
29 October 2007 at 2:20 am
Aw, come on now! That sweet little, innocent face taloned you? :c) Glad it was such a great night! That has to be the cutest owl face ever.
29 October 2007 at 6:53 am
I’m fascinated by the owls you show. It’s wonderful to see close-up shots to see how different they are. It was fun watching them being released back into the wild. How wonderful you donate your time to these owls (I didn’t know that until I read your comment.) I don’t want to over-do the praises but it is all so terrific!
29 October 2007 at 8:31 am
I’m always impressed by your work Tom.
You have a wonderful job/life. becca
29 October 2007 at 9:10 am
@ Garth – thanks and congrats on your 13 tonight! Our moon was bright and probably should have tried longer! Winds seemed perfect for sure!
@ Bobbie – thanks and we are still learning a lot about Northern Saw-whet Owls! Just over 10 years ago we didn’t know much about them being migratory also! But, with the network of banders we are just starting to get a little better understanding of them (but still have a great deal to learn).
@ jayne – it’s right in the middle of my (middle) typing finger and reminded of it each time I type a I, K or even an M! Took everything I could to get that talon out of my finger!
@ Erie – blush, thanks! They keep me fascinated also! They all are different in many ways for sure and we can learn a great deal from them.
@ Rebecca – thanks and trust me, I am feeling it this morning!
29 October 2007 at 10:16 am
so the owl nipped you? i really liked the video, that was neat. ~nita~
29 October 2007 at 10:25 am
Nita – the nipping didn’t hurt, it was its talon (toe nail) that hurt! Only wish it was brighter, but kind-da worked!
29 October 2007 at 10:32 am
Nice catch! Looks a little ratty?
29 October 2007 at 10:49 am
Ouch! Glad the talon didn’t get you TOO badly, but that must’ve really hurt. Beautiful pictures, Tom.
29 October 2007 at 3:20 pm
Nice to see/hear you on video Tom! I love the owl! Hey, was that J taking video of you?
29 October 2007 at 4:51 pm
How does J do school the next day? Come to that how do you do work the next day? LOL! Tiring!! Love the video-and the shots too of course!
29 October 2007 at 7:29 pm
@ Nick – thanks and if you got shoved into a can to be weighed, you look like that also!
@ Lisa – thanks and does in its own way!
@ Pam – thanks and nope that is my neighbor!
@ Marg – Work I can do the next day . . . J has yet to do any Owl banding with me this year! Schedules or weather just hasn’t been working this season! Maybe soon we can get him out to catch some of these fluff-balls!
29 October 2007 at 7:57 pm
Oh, Lord, Tom. Do you ever wonder what the owls are thinking when you see their striking eyes focusing on you? Total fear? Wonder?
You definitely rock.
29 October 2007 at 8:09 pm
@ Mary – hard to say for sure! That’s where trying to make sure our birds are safe during the banding process and take as much needed data from them as possible. Once we get a better understanding of their natural history then the banding isn’t needed anymore!
29 October 2007 at 8:20 pm
Great owl picture staring right at you. It’s mesmerizing (spelling?)
29 October 2007 at 9:27 pm
Hi Tom. Glad to hear you had another good owling evening yesterday. I’ve been watching your tally build and have been quite impressed.
I was hoping to get out with David Junkin Sunday evening but could not reach him – not sure if I was calling the right number. Do you have a phone number and/or email address for David?
Keep up the good work!
Chuck
29 October 2007 at 10:19 pm
Very cool, Mon@rch, seeing that Barred Owl up close. It must have just finished eating ‘cuz that looks like blood on its beak! I hear them calling when I’m out on my deer stand, but have only ever seen one in the wild.
29 October 2007 at 10:32 pm
“@ Nick – thanks and if you got shoved into a can to be weighed, you look like that also!”
Hahaha… no, that hasn’t happened to me anytime recently.
29 October 2007 at 10:57 pm
I’ve noticed that I don’t comment a lot on your blog, Mon@arch, and that’s because every comment would say the same thing: Wow, Amazing, and Your Photos Take My Breath Away! All true.
Even thought it’s pretty chilly here at night, I still keep my bedroom window open a bit hoping to hear an Eastern Screech Owl which I’ve heard in the past this time of year. No luck yet, but I’d love to hear that descending “whinny” again.
30 October 2007 at 12:12 am
Heard a pair of Great Horned’s yesterday late afternoon while cutting firewood.
30 October 2007 at 12:32 am
Gorgeous!!!
30 October 2007 at 12:40 am
Taloned – through the gloves? Those must be some big nails.
But the real question is: “How did they smell?”
(secondary is: seen any snowy, gray or boreal owls yet?)
30 October 2007 at 1:27 pm
😦 I know how J feels about not getting to do any owl banding this year yet!
30 October 2007 at 2:42 pm
@ Zen – thanks and almost is mesmerizing!
@ Chuck – we have already communicated via email!
@ Ruthie – It is some dried up left-overs! LOL, was wondering if anyone would comment on it!
@ Nick – LOL!
@ Lost Roses – thanks and very glad you take the time to comment when you do! I do love hearing those screech owls in the middle of the night!
@ Grace – that really helps make cutting wood easier!
@ Liz – thanks
@ Marty – I think we have had this discussion before on this blog but probably with someone else! I don’t use gloves when handling raptors or songbirds! These birds hunt with their talons and I need all of my fingers to remove these guys from the mist night. Also, using gloves don’t allow me to feel and movement they might do prior to trying to jump or pull their leg to talon me! Me getting taloned was entirely my fault and did say a few words I wouldn’t type on here. If I needed to capture this bird (not using in a mist-net or BC Trap) I would use gloves for sure (but then remove the gloves once I had 100% full control of the bird)! Handling these guys is entirely different than any rehab or even educational birds.
@ Marg – He is itching to get out and might happen sooner than later! BTW: When are you coming out?
30 October 2007 at 5:40 pm
Hi Tom,
Wow! Sorry about injury. Owls are so very cool.
Barred Owl is amazing.
Worth every bit of no sleep.
Love the photos. You bring each bird so close I almost think I saw him too.
Thanks for taking the time to post.
Sherry
30 October 2007 at 6:06 pm
What amazing head shots Tom, they are awesome creatures, I would give an eyetooth for a shot like these.
30 October 2007 at 9:21 pm
Wow. I’d love to see a barred owl up close like that.
31 October 2007 at 12:09 am
I agree with Mary in comments, cept.. I gotta think to an owl that flash really stinks! (I’m sure he’s not really looking at you at all but seeing bright lights in his head….) I know I know what a jerk all the sympathy for the owl and none for the injured biologist. Isn’t that the way things work? Once again this guy is go fabulous I just want to take him home. (Of course that says a lot about the talent of the guy behind the camera.) Great shots! Monarch… you rival my mind a spirit!
31 October 2007 at 3:36 am
@ Sherry – thanks so very much for you kind words!
@ Bernie – thanks and no need to give any eyetooth!
@ John – thanks and they are great!
@ aullori – thanks and do note that out of the 65 birds that I banded up to this date, I am still using previously taken pictures of these guys. Unusual situations like bill, etc. . require a picture to document this or that! of course first of that species gets a whole series of pictures taken! Then when I do have guest, those birds do get photographed for memories of seeing these guys! BTW: injured biologist isn’t important and the safety of the bird should be our number 1 priority!
31 October 2007 at 7:17 am
Barred owl–my favorite, and most often seen here.
Those talons belie the softness in their big, brown eyes.
31 October 2007 at 8:46 am
Good question!! When?
Will fill you in by email
31 October 2007 at 12:22 pm
That first photo is just too cute!
31 October 2007 at 12:24 pm
@ Nina – they are faves of mine also! they are true killers for sure!
@ marg – still waiting for that email!
@ adam – thanks!
31 October 2007 at 3:07 pm
Those Barred Owls make quite a few interesting noises too!
1 November 2007 at 10:28 pm
@ Larry – this one gave the howl-scream a few times!
2 November 2007 at 8:24 am
You’ve been christened by a BO. People ask me if I get hurt by the birds, but I say no…I get hurt by my mistakes. The birds just don’t want to be handled, and they are rightfully pissed!
4 November 2007 at 1:43 am
Susan – perfectly said! Thanks
4 November 2007 at 10:53 am