[mou] Northern Hawk Owl in Manly, Iowa
SnoEowl@aol.com
SnoEowl@aol.com
Mon, 28 Feb 2005 11:38:10 EST
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This is a forward from the IA-BIRD list.
Al Batt
Subject: Northern hawk owl incident
From: "LL & RD Scarth" <scarth@infionline.net>
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 07:23:10 -0600
X-Message-Number: 1
Yesterday Bob and I spent an interesting hour+ observing and
photographing the NHO in the trees behind the fire station in Manly. It
preened, stretched, yawned, took tiny catnaps (owlnaps) and did not even
seem bothered by the extremely noisy motorcycle spinning off nor the
town's noon siren. It rarely looked at us but was scanning the
surrounding area at its eye level. There were people there when we
arrived and people came and went over the time we were there. One can
see why the Stokes Field Guide to Birds (Western Region) has this note
first under Other Behavior: "Unafraid of humans."
Something strange happened while we were alone except for a chatty
little boy from the neighborhood. A vehicle stopped along the street
and a middle aged man yelled out his window "Are you going to photograph
it when it is dead, too?" I turned around in surprise while Bob and the
little boy continued to look at the owl. He repeated himself and then
said something close to "All you people standing around watching it are
keeping it from eating and it will die." I turned back to my camera and
I think he said something else before driving off.
I suspect this is an unintended consequence of the lovely news articles
that have talked about the starving owls coming down from the north
being read by people who do not realize that the owl could leave
whenever it wanted to. And this area was probably a pretty good hunting
area or it would have moved on by now. Also that it was using the high
position in the tree to rest and maybe to scan the area for some daytime
hunting.
The little boy told us he saw it before people started coming to look at
it but was not sure how long before. He and his friends play in that
area and the owl does not seem to object.
Linda Scarth
scarth@infionline.net
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<DIV><STRONG>This is a forward from the IA-BIRD list.</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Al Batt</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV>Subject: Northern hawk owl incident<BR>From: "LL & RD Scarth"=
=20
<scarth@infionline.net><BR>Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 07:23:10=20
-0600<BR>X-Message-Number: 1<BR><BR><BR>Yesterday Bob and I spent an interes=
ting=20
hour+ observing and<BR>photographing the NHO in the trees behind the fire=20
station in Manly. It<BR>preened, stretched, yawned, took tiny catnaps (owlna=
ps)=20
and did not even<BR>seem bothered by the extremely noisy motorcycle spinning=
off=20
nor the<BR>town's noon siren. It rarely looked at us but was scanning=20
the<BR>surrounding area at its eye level. There were people there when=20
we<BR>arrived and people came and went over the time we were there. One=20
can<BR>see why the Stokes Field Guide to Birds (Western Region) has this=20
note<BR>first under Other Behavior: "Unafraid of humans."<BR><BR>Something=20
strange happened while we were alone except for a chatty<BR>little boy from=20=
the=20
neighborhood. A vehicle stopped along the street<BR>and a middle aged=20=
man=20
yelled out his window "Are you going to photograph<BR>it when it is dead, to=
o?"=20
I turned around in surprise while Bob and the<BR>little boy continued to loo=
k at=20
the owl. He repeated himself and then<BR>said something close to "All=20=
you=20
people standing around watching it are<BR>keeping it from eating and it will=
=20
die." I turned back to my camera and<BR>I think he said something else befor=
e=20
driving off.<BR><BR>I suspect this is an unintended consequence of the lovel=
y=20
news articles<BR>that have talked about the starving owls coming down from t=
he=20
north<BR>being read by people who do not realize that the owl could=20
leave<BR>whenever it wanted to. And this area was probably a pretty good=20
hunting<BR>area or it would have moved on by now. Also that it was usi=
ng=20
the high<BR>position in the tree to rest and maybe to scan the area for some=
=20
daytime<BR>hunting. <BR><BR>The little boy told us he saw it before people=20
started coming to look at<BR>it but was not sure how long before. He and his=
=20
friends play in that<BR>area and the owl does not seem to object.<BR><BR>Lin=
da=20
Scarth<BR>scarth@infionline.net<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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