owl!

[leelastarsky]

Last night (c10pm), something 'exciting' was happening around at the supermarket next door to us. Still have no idea what it was, but there were at least 5 firetrucks, 3 police cars and 1 police wagon/van. And those were the ones we could see from the pipe track, which runs between us and the shopping centre. There could have been more. Lots of flashing lights and siren after siren. Anyway, curious as to what was going down, 11yo daughter, 14yo son and I started to walk around to see what was happening and, as we walked through the reserve at the top of our court, I noticed a shape on a low branch beside us... A
tawny frogmouth!


So 14yo son ran back for the camera and came back with Dad, 9yo son and 16yo son as well. The owl didn't seem bothered by us at all, and would launch off the branch to try and catch moths (I presume - he was definitely hunting something airborn) and come back to the same tree, if not the same branch.


I've never seen one so lively! (probably because I've only ever seen them 'pretending to be a branch' in the daytime at the zoo!) So that was VERY exciting.





Isn't he cool?! :~D

Comments

[wickedschmuck.livejournal.com]

It's very pretty, I don't believe I've seen an owl like that before. We have a lot of hawks and owls in these parts, as well, but I don't think I've ever seen one that close. The black-and-white feathers are quite stunning.

If I saw it, I would think, "If only it came to deliver my post." :)

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Well, this owl is an Aussie native, so you'd only see one in a zoo. Before last night, I'd only ever seen them in zoos! Even though I knew we had them around. They're very good at pretending to be part of the branch, and of course are nocturnal.
Our car got swooped by a BIG owl as we drove up our street one night. Have no idea what sort it was, but it had a huge wingspan.

[wickedschmuck.livejournal.com]

I would have probably driven off the road if a bird swooped in front of my car. I get very scared of hurting animals that stray in front of me while I'm driving.

That is very cool you got to see it.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Uh, birds fly in front of cars all the time here. To the point where hubby and I have jokingly suggested it's their form of 'chicken'. Starlings, Minahs, Wattlebirds, and the native Minahs are the worst. They just swoop across in front of you from the side, and there's nothing you can do about it. I was driving my daughter to a party one morning when two young (just out of the nest/teenage) native Minahs flew out in front of us, squabbling in the air, and totally not paying attention. Even if I could have magically stopped the car I could not have saved them; they flew into me! At least they were dead instantly. My daughter was horrified, and I turned it into a lesson of what happens to children who don't practice Constant Vigilance! near roads. Specially children who get distracted squabbling over toys/games! (which she and her sibs do of course ;~P)

What's really distressing is hitting one of the bigger birds, like Magpies. I've never hit one (touch wood!), but I've seen them staggering on the road after being hit. And their mate won't let them suffer - they always come and kill them.

[wickedschmuck.livejournal.com]

Birds fly in front of cars here, too, but most of the time they are groups of smaller birds, like crows. Most of the time if they are in the road they fly away before they can get hit.

I always find that type of mercy - killing in nature to avoid suffering - quite intriguing. It reminds me of a nature TV show I had seen. A young wild colt had been born and couldn't stand up. After a long time a group of adult stallions trotted over to investigate. The dominant stallion smelled the colt for a while and kept coming back. Finally, without warning, it lashed out and killed the colt! At the time I thought it barbaric, but in reality he was probably preventing the colt from suffering a long and painful death.

BTW: On a separate topic, I've been thinking about sending you an art commission request. I have some specific ideas in mind - I might send over an e-mail message with my ideas, if that's okay. : )

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Sure. :~) You can email me on leelastarsky at gmail dot com.

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

I've had the misfortune of hitting a 28 (Australian Ringneck). They have this unfortunate dipping flight and often the dip happens while they're over a road. This one actually flew across the road in front of me and I was like "Phew, missed him." Then the silly bird TURNED! :(

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah! Hubby and I had a crimson rosella kamikazi into the front grill of our car many yrs ago. Came out of nowhere, and Hubby was totally traumatised. We actually had to pick bits of bird and feathers out of the grill. :~(

[lunulet.livejournal.com]

Oh!!! He's beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is totally posing for you.

How big was he?

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Hard to say... about 17"? We got quite close, as you can see. And he was on the lowest branches. :~D

He's lovely, isn't he?! 14yo was totally spooked by his red eyes in the photos and said "how scary would it be seeing that out in the bush at night!" But, of course, that was just his retinas reflecting the flash, but it looks cool! :~D

[netbyrd.livejournal.com]

You should post this in the birding community, or would you possibly allow me to link? THese are some really nice shots. He almost looks like he's deciding what his best side is for you to photograph!

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

Link away! I'll unlock the post. :~)

[netbyrd.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot. I think they'd like to see that.

[netbyrd.livejournal.com]

So they say it's not an owl or in that family. It's closely related to nightjars, I guess. I didn't even catch that, though I probably should have because of the wide mouth like that.

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

You're right, they're not owls - that's a common misconception because they're active at night. And we exacerbate it by calling them owls. :~P But it's a hard habit to break.

[bubblebee.livejournal.com]

OOoh, wow! That's so very awesome! I've never seen an owl.

Where in Aus do you live again? If you don't want to say which city, just a state? :) teehee

[leelastarsky.livejournal.com]

I'm in Melbourne. ;~) It's a big city.

[bubblebee.livejournal.com]

I thought you'd be a Victorian. :)
Tis quite a big city. Although I've never been there... boyfriend wants to take me shopping down there :D

[nasus221.livejournal.com]

O RLY?

But seriously, that is really cool!

[tearfulmooncm.livejournal.com]

Oh Leela, he is very pretty! Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. Owls are such cool creatures, aren't they?

[m4g1c4lm3.livejournal.com]

wow. i really wish i lived somewhere where i could actually see some owls!

[madameceleste70.livejournal.com]

He's stunning even if he does look like animagus!Voldemort with those eyes.

[suehypno.livejournal.com]

Wow, very cool!! The wonders of having a digital camera, no? It's so cool to capture moments like that so easily now.

Back when I was in my early to mid-teens, I used to go deer hunting in the fall with my Dad. There was one particular stand I prefered, simply because the view was so nice and it was a lovely area. (I let plenty of deer walk by--I was just enjoying being out there and would have been just as happy with a camera.) For two years in a row, I also found that a snowy owl (Hedwig!?) felt the same way and would often be perched up in the branches nearby. What a fantastic, BIG, bird!

[pili204.livejournal.com]

Oh, those red eyes (or is that the camera?) Pretty cool!

[aliciajd]

We've got several of these at our local zoo, but as they are nocternal, I've never really had a good look at them. Thanks for this post.

A few months back someone from Australia posted a picture of a huge spider on the outside of their bedroom window. I love Live Journal, the world just keeps getting smaller!

[magic-helmet.livejournal.com]

...did it by chance have a letter tied to it's leg?

If I saw an Owl, that would be the first thing I'd look for....

[lunadeath02.livejournal.com]

ooooo, he's pretty! :)

[luckycyberbunny.livejournal.com]

he's gots devil eyes!!! lol that is so cool! i see little burrowing owls sometimes... but never big owls... lucky!

[aquarius-1977.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous!