Eastern Screech Owl
Jody Melanson
Registered Users Posts: 416 Major grins
Sorry for my absence folks, just life getting in the way. 
I read online about a Screech Owl just over an hour north of my place, so I decided to take a drive up and see if I could find him. I have never seen a Screech Owl before so this would be cool if I could find him.
I drove up to where the directions stated he could be found, and there he was, right where they said he was. He was sitting in a hole in a big old maple tree in the corner of someones yard. I got my gear out of the car and as I approached, I noticed a sign the landowner placed asking that people stay on the driveway and to talk quietly please. So I stood on the edge of the driveway and started shootin'. The owner came out of his house, so I introduced myself. He was an older retired gentleman that went by the name, Jack. I asked if I could get closer to the Owl and he said, "Oh sure, I just put that sign there because there were people with kids that stopped by and the kids were screaming at the Owl and banging on the tree."
The Owl was sitting about 12' up in the hole, so I asked him if he had a step ladder I could borrow. He obliged, so I was able to get closer to eye level with this cute little Owl.
We were talking while I was taking pictures and he told me that he had had nesting boxes on this tree and another in his yard. One year some Tree Swallows were using one of the boxes. He noticed one of the fledglings had fallen out of the nest. So he got a ladder and put the bird back in the nest. It fell out again. He put it back. It fell out again. He noticed that the parents and other siblings were no where to be seen. He brought the Swallow inside and started to hand feed it dried cat food. He has had this Swallow for 11 years now! He took me inside and showed him to me.
Even let me hold it.
On a sad note, a couple of days after I photographed this guy, I read that he was injured. Jack took him to a rehab center and they didn't find any broken bones, but he wouldn't feed. I haven't heard anything since about the Owl, I will have to check on the little feller. Hopefully he makes it.
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I read online about a Screech Owl just over an hour north of my place, so I decided to take a drive up and see if I could find him. I have never seen a Screech Owl before so this would be cool if I could find him.
I drove up to where the directions stated he could be found, and there he was, right where they said he was. He was sitting in a hole in a big old maple tree in the corner of someones yard. I got my gear out of the car and as I approached, I noticed a sign the landowner placed asking that people stay on the driveway and to talk quietly please. So I stood on the edge of the driveway and started shootin'. The owner came out of his house, so I introduced myself. He was an older retired gentleman that went by the name, Jack. I asked if I could get closer to the Owl and he said, "Oh sure, I just put that sign there because there were people with kids that stopped by and the kids were screaming at the Owl and banging on the tree."
The Owl was sitting about 12' up in the hole, so I asked him if he had a step ladder I could borrow. He obliged, so I was able to get closer to eye level with this cute little Owl.
We were talking while I was taking pictures and he told me that he had had nesting boxes on this tree and another in his yard. One year some Tree Swallows were using one of the boxes. He noticed one of the fledglings had fallen out of the nest. So he got a ladder and put the bird back in the nest. It fell out again. He put it back. It fell out again. He noticed that the parents and other siblings were no where to be seen. He brought the Swallow inside and started to hand feed it dried cat food. He has had this Swallow for 11 years now! He took me inside and showed him to me.
Even let me hold it.On a sad note, a couple of days after I photographed this guy, I read that he was injured. Jack took him to a rehab center and they didn't find any broken bones, but he wouldn't feed. I haven't heard anything since about the Owl, I will have to check on the little feller. Hopefully he makes it.
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There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness!
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Comments
I've never seen a screech owl in broad daylight, although I've heard and seen Eastern Screech-Owls by red-flashlight during bird-counts here in the N.E. USA. Nice job!
Were these straight out of the camera or tweaked? I love the beautiful texture you've captured!
What fabulous camouflage; my favourites are #6, 8, 9, & 10. #8 has absolutely perfect focus - check out those toes! Nice job!
I'm so jealous!
Thanks for sharing!
- Wil
PS: I'm impressed that (i) you were able to get so close, and (ii) that you were brave enough to approach an owl - perhaps you've never heard of Eric Hosking
Jody, thanks so much for posting those great shots. As you may or may not know, birds especially, will hide their illnesses so they don't fail prey to some predator. I hope the little fella recovers and goes on to live a great life. I have 7 parrots that I am raising and just love their antics and individual ways.
What became of the swallow? Still with the older man?
Spinner
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