[Magdalen] Owls!

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/7/2015 2:27:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
jay.weigel at gmail.com writes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jeRn29VpzY
 
On a walk with three of my Miniature Schnauzers some years ago
in Wisconsin, I discovered four half-grown Great Horned Owls
perched on a hackberry tree, and directly above the dogs, who
had no clue the birds were there.  This species is probably the
largest bird in that region, save, perhaps the wild turkeys.
 
Even though obviously owlets with lots of those fluffy juvenile
feathers, they were still of very impressive size, and I honestly
became concerned for the Schnauzers who weighed maybe 
12 pounds wringing wet - not much bigger than the jackrabbits,
the owls favorite food.
 
Mama/papa owl was nowhere to be seen, and I realized that being
broad daylight, the owls were probably semi-asleep.   Nonetheless,
I called the dogs and beat a hasty retreat.
 
Thereafter, that giant hackberry tree was always known to my
family as "The Owl Tree".
 
Common Hackberry = Celtis occidentalis.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtis_occidentalis
 
Great Horned Owl = Bubo virginianus
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl
 
 
 
 
David Strang.