Perfectly Toasted
From Chris Fowler
Saved my favourites till last. I'm just blown away at how dark, and beautiful this barn owl is!
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Comments8From Chris Fowler
Saved my favourites till last. I'm just blown away at how dark, and beautiful this barn owl is!
Landing gear is not fully retracted...
That pic reminds me that I haven't really looked up close how owls land with one foot "occupied". 🤔
With the 2 GHO that will eat in front of me, it's been entertaining to see them grab a chick and hop away to the far corner on one foot. I wouldn't say they're not graceful, but it is awkward with that offset in balance. 😄
This Barnie landing with a big snack makes it look easy.
I want to do something on "bastard wings" that I think you guys would enjoy. They are crucial to allowing birds to land. I learned about them recently, but I'm curious about more of the physics behind how it works.
Thank you. I expected them not to let go - if you're landing high up you don't want your hard-earned meal to fall down. But walking with food in your foot instead of using your beak - at first seems strange. It does make sense if they think of defending their food and themselves with their beak though. Maybe the next evolutionary step will be owls using their foot parrot style.
More owl facts are always welcome :D
I went back and reviewed my photos, and it must have big the big badass one last week that ran off with it in one foot. I am starting to seriously think that thing thinks it can beat me if it wanted to.
I always hear owls don't really fight with their beaks because it's too close to those giant soft eyes, plus their beak curls downward so they have a very short reach, and it's also in their blind spot.
I keep mentioning to the senior staff that it comes and takes food and eats in front of me because I want to ensure it's not getting habituated to humans, but it still seems to really despise me like it should. It seems to just feel it runs the place now. 😆
Why shouldn't it think so? You're soooo slow and obviously intimidated by it, it can just take the food from you without a fight. So it surely is the biggest and scariest predator in the house. /j
I understand that you don't want it to associate humans with easy food (or worse: a potential partner). There's been a story about a EEO in the Netherlands that started "attacking" humans. They later found out that at least for women it was his idea of courtship during mating season. He did a fly-by and if he found them suitable might try to land on his chosen partner's head. Ouch!
Excuse me, ma'am. I do believe you have an owl in your head! 🤣