Quicksand Fans

I snapped this picture myself at a nature center today. There is a bird in the photograph but the two bird-BRAINS are wearing fur!

Nessie

"They can't be that stupid. I'll give them a minute. If they don't run, then it's early lunchtime"

Mister Barn Owl has his pick of tasty snacks.

Any predator hates to be discovered. And their prey recognize that and do take advantage of that when the prey see their predator resting. "Bug 'em till they leave"

Those cute little bushy tailed tree rats know they are too close for the owl to lash out and make a meal out of them. If the bird were to leave, they would watch. But... the owl is more patient, and the squirrel doesn't have the attention span. Its possible that the owl had a meal later, or not. I've see an owl feed during daylight, they're not just nocturnal hunters.

I like how close you are. I did notice the light reflection in the right side of the frame; interior light on a car or truck?? It does look a bit cold there.

I like the pic very much! You have seen an interesting interaction between predator and prey. This will stay with you for a long time.

I agree great pic Nessie. A one in a million shot.

I had an owl swoop past me while running late one evening and nailed what looked like a squirrel or chipmunk. WHOOSH! BANG! End of furry critter. He must be more interested in you or those guys would never know what hit them. Great image no matter how you got it.

Awesome pic. I hear Owls all the time at night but I can count on one hand the times I've actually seen one.

jadokast98 wrote:Any predator hates to be discovered.

And we all know that the best way to avoid discovery...is to sit on a branch in plain sight.

Actually, the owl was very alert -- his eyeballs followed me through the glass -- and he was likely looking for a handout. To attact him, the nature center throws out a dead mouse now and then. The guy who works there told me that.

The reflection is from the glass window. I took the picture from indoors. They have a feeder out there and the vegetarians (birds and squirrels) were chowing down big-time.

And that guy opened the door and that owl was REALLY LOOKING AT HIM. "Gimme gimme gimme GIMMEEEEE!"

The place closes at around 4:30...those squirrels might not have it so easy once that owl figures out that all the waiters and waitresses are no longer in the building and he still doesn't see a free mouse.

Nessie

When I was building the clay pit at Studio 588 there was an occasion when I took off a hat I had been wearing and tossed it about 12 feet away onto some of the spoil from the hole. Just a minute later I looked up as a red-tailed hawk swooped down and struck the hat. The hawk did not actually take the hat though. I've heard people threaten to eat their hat but I think the hawk decided that was not a good idea.

Duncan Edwards wrote:I had an owl swoop past me while running late one evening and nailed what looked like a squirrel or chipmunk. WHOOSH! BANG! End of furry critter. He must be more interested in you or those guys would never know what hit them. Great image no matter how you got it.

Duncan Edwards wrote:I had an owl swoop past me while running late one evening and nailed what looked like a squirrel or chipmunk. WHOOSH! BANG! End of furry critter. He must be more interested in you or those guys would never know what hit them. Great image no matter how you got it.

A couple times in the winter, I've seen little bitty tracks that suddenly end between two big wing imprints...and just a bit of fur.

Nessie