[mou] Correction on owl balls
Browning, Jimmie L COL RES USAR USARC
jimmie.browning at us.army.mil
Wed Apr 2 09:47:52 CDT 2008
I started birding during my college days in the early 70's in Kansas. I think owl balls is a perfectly acceptable term. I understand it better than owl pellets which I assume to be from the colon, going back to my college days in examining coyote pellets. All of my Minnesota in-laws were surprised to know that the democratic party is not referred to as the DFL in most other states. And a parking garage will always be a parking garage to me and to most of the rest of the country and not a "ramp". But when in Rome....Your response to this phenomenon was very tactful and well put. Obviously you do better than I at this. Thanks for your report, I found it very interesting.
----- Original Message -----
From: Thomas Maiello <thomas at angelem.com>
Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2008 8:09
Subject: [mou] Correction on owl balls
To: mnbird to submit messages <mnbird at lists.mnbird.net>, mou-net at moumn.org
> Well, we are certainly an open, sharing and communicating internet
>
> family, aren't we. My goodness.
>
> After sufficient feedback on my use of the term "owl ball" which
> is
> what the Oklahoma University community at least one time called
> them
> back in the 70's, I absorbed the prolific information I received
> from
> feedback responses and did a little research to look into what
> exactly
> is that thing that owl's up-chuck is called. I won't go into all
> the
> details of what it is and why, and when and all the research done
> on
> them, where to acquire them for instructional purposes, etc.,
> etc.,
> etc.. And I might add there is a lot out there on those subjects.
>
> Let me get to my point.
>
> It appears that there are a number of terms to describe the furry
> or
> feathery mass that owl's up-chuck (please allow me the use of this
>
> term rather than"regurgitation" as I am attempting to be "light").
>
> The term - Most common by far is "owl pellet". Never, I repeat,
> never, are they called "owl balls". Never - except in Oklahoma in
> the
> 70's - but that is another story altogether. Some respondents
> offered
> "castings" - an accurate and acceptable term but would likely not
> land
> the direct punch of "owl pellet" to the birding, scientific, or
> retail
> communities - at least the internet ones. The term "bezoar" was
> by
> far the most interesting offering and my research indicates that
> this
> term more commonly applies to material that remains in the
> digestive
> tract rather than being rendered to ground. Still, I think if
> that is
> what everyone in your area knows the "pellets" as, it works for me
> and
> apparently for you - plus it is definitely "local color" which
> paints
> the uniqueness of our worlds.
>
> From all of this I am again amazed at the awkwardness of the
> American
> form of the English language. My recent marriage and frequent
> communications with my step-15 and 18 year old daughters and wife
> have
> shown me that if the goal is communication, surrendering to
> exacting
> terms and language is best served to simply allow the other to get
>
> your point. What one calls a tree another can call a conifer or a
>
> plant or a fir or a trunk - especially in the context of what
> caused
> the crumpled fender and hood to my borrowed car. Context is vital
> in
> effective communication.
>
> To put a majority of the respondents to my posting at ease and
> expressing my appreciation and gratitude to your loving feedback,
> allow me to rephrase my self: "My friendly neighborhood Barred Owl
>
> dropped an owl pellet yesterday."
>
> Another learning opportunity. Note to self. And thank you for
> the
> lessons.
>
> I love this community!
>
> Thomas Maiello
> Angel Environmental Management, Inc.
> Maple Grove, MN
>
>
>
>
>
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