Cool stuff my neighbor catches in his live trap

[BabaYaga 15399]

5 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Dumb question, but are those doves or small raptors?

Raptors.  Owls don't GAF....

Edited May 15, 2020 by BabaYaga

[Jerry Callo 8836]

6 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Dumb question, but are those doves or small raptors?

From the YouTube - Israel Raptor Nest Cam - Eagle owl kidnaps a Long legged buzzard nestling

Edited May 15, 2020 by Jerry Callo

[TexasEd 8148]

My kids put their Budgie cage out on the patio a couple weeks ago and as the sun set a Screech Owl dive bombed the cage.  We took the cage in the house and later the owl came back and roosted in the tree above where the cage was sitting.

A week later he came back and roosted in the same spot.

Two nights later it tried to dive bomb the cage through the closed window and made a loud thump.  I went outside and saw it perched on my small cooler getting his senses back.  I need to host the picture and post it.

Edited May 15, 2020 by TexasEd
let me know if the image worked

[WBT 20763]

Badass, I've never seen a screech owl.

Couple of years ago I was on a trail out in the woods and heard a red shouldered hawk giving its distinctive screech, just going crazy.  It took me a minute to find it up in a big oak.  Then I noticed a couple of branches over was the great horned owl that it was fussing at.  Then a 2nd hawk flew up and joined in.  The owl gave zero fucks and I'm not sure it was even fully awake, it definitely didn't move..  After seeing the video above I guess I see why the hawks didn't like having the owl around.

[Brisketexan 105624]

Actually had to borrow the neighbors trap last night. A damned coon has been raiding our bird feeder, even tearing it off the mount. Enough of that shit. Put it out, baited with sunflower seeds.

 

Had this guy in it this morning:

 

 

Man...he was PISSED. Even with thick gloves, I couldn’t grab that near end of the cage - he was biting and snarling at my fingers. So, I used the hook end of a pry bar to carry that end.

 

But when I opened it and he bolted was the best. I took him across the highway to a nice wooded area. There were thick wildflowers about a foot tall, running up to some trees as the ground descended to a dry creek.

 

He tears out of the cage - like Usain Bolt fast. Head down, view blocked by wildflowers. He sprints away at full speed...slamming straight into a tree. I hear the THWACK! I see his little body fly off to the left, spinning throwing the air. I hear him fall through the brush, and then continue running. Little dude had a rough day. But I didn’t shoot him.

[TwiceHorn 31699]

1 hour ago, WBT said:

Badass, I've never seen a screech owl.

Couple of years ago I was on a trail out in the woods and heard a red shouldered hawk giving its distinctive screech, just going crazy.  It took me a minute to find it up in a big oak.  Then I noticed a couple of branches over was the great horned owl that it was fussing at.  Then a 2nd hawk flew up and joined in.  The owl gave zero fucks and I'm not sure it was even fully awake, it definitely didn't move..  After seeing the video above I guess I see why the hawks didn't like having the owl around.

Owls are cool as hell.  A neighbor put up an owl box right in the middle of town.  Sure enough, got some owls.

One day went out on the porch to check the mail and a 8" tall owl was roosting on top of the mailbox.  Just sittin there, chillin.  Rotating his head around.

And then they had baby owls.  Cutest things you ever saw, little fluffy gray owlets about 3-4" tall.  

[VolenteHawk 495]

On 5/4/2020 at 11:17 AM, Reagan1k said:

Yep - and oh they are here for sure.  I momentarily shared a deer blind with one in the cold, predawn hours years back.  

Probably the longest 5 seconds of my life to date.

Stay out of their deer blinds...they're wild animals.