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]

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. :~(