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From Blackland Prairie Raptor Center

This Fix 'em Friday, we highlight these baby barn owls that were brought to us and recently fledged. When threatened, barn owls lower their heads, spread their wings, and sway from side to side. This stance makes them appear larger and more intimidating to potential threats, and is called dusting. Barn owls also produce a sharp hissing sound that can serve as a warning to intruders, helping to establish their presence and deter potential threats. Together, these behaviors highlight the barn owl's unique adaptations for survival in the wild.

These young barn owls are perfectly displaying this behavior and letting us know they do not appreciate us coming into their enclosure to change their water.

Photo by Matt Trevillion

Eagle Owl, (Bubo bubo) Liminka, Finland 13/9/24- Very large and powerful owl with obvious ear tufts, deep orange eyes, and finely streaked pale buffy underparts. Active mainly at night, but can be seen perched up on prominent lookouts at dusk, searching for prey. Can be found roosting during the day in shady canopy or caves. Pairs often duet, with the male giving a deep, resounding hoot and the female giving a hoarser, higher-pitched one. Inhabits a wide range of habítats, from forests to rocky canyons, but generally abundant nowhere

Even during their active hours, they still look just as groggy. No wonder I feel such closeness with them!

From Hoo's Woods

"Fall' in love at Hoo's Woods!

Yesterday, we released Ixonia, the large female Great Horned Owl, from the center. She had suffered multiple injuries from a vehicle collision this summer and made a full recovery.

Over the past few weeks, every morning around 5 a.m., a wild Great Horned Owl has appeared near Ixonia's cage, hooting softly. And then, she started hooting back. Perhaps this is the start of a courtship. We've even found partially eaten prey, including a bullfrog, left near her cage, perhaps as an offering.

Ixonia flew strong, landing high in the pine trees, and this morning, we heard two Great Horned Owls calling once again. Who knows what the future holds, but far be it from us to stand in the way of true love. Be well lxonia!

Note the owl haybale art, inspired by Ixonia created by our talented board member, Mandy Croft.

It isn't often we get a full story from start to finish, so it's wonderful to have closure on this wonderful effort.

Ixonia's Backstory

Part 1 - Wing Cast

Part 2 - Burrito Wrap

Part 3 - Recovery

From Anthony J Dixon

My last shot of my last visit to see the fledgling Barn Owls on Saturday evening. I'm not sure how many more visits get in before they leave the roost for good, or if indeed get any more in. If this is to be the last image of these beautiful birds, then it feels poignant...

Just as the sun was going down this handsome male who I've become rather attached to, flew straight towards me and over my head with the colours of the days end behind him. Almost felt like goodbye and if that is to be the case, then it was a truly wonderful ending to the story of my summer..

From the Hilton Head Great Horned Owl Cam

Hi Group! The Owls are back! screen shots from Timelapse. Date is on the pictures.

Looking forward to another successful season for these lovely birds!

From World Bird Sanctuary

Gordon, the barred owl, might love sunbathing even more than Lewis, the bald eagle, from yesterday's post. Barred owls go into full relaxation mode when they sun. They will sit down, go into a full pancake, and tip their head back for maximum sun coverage. Gordon will do this on warm sunny days even on his trainer's glove. It can be a little tricky supporting an owl that is actively laying down on your hand!

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/17785044

A County Down farmer is celebrating the arrival of four new barn owl chicks after 10 years of conservation work on his land to increase numbers.

There are currently fewer than 30 breeding pairs of barn owls in Northern Ireland.

Ulster Wildlife say this is down to agricultural intensification, habitat loss, a lack of nest sites, and increased use of rat poisons.

David Sandford has provided a home for nearly 20 owlets in the past six years after installing wooden nest boxes on his farm in Strangford.

I think I had an earlier story on this farm, so it's great to see the efforts paying off!

Go check out [email protected] and give them an upvote for sharing this story. They look to have a lot that would interest any nature or animal fan outside of the UK as well.

Some interesting posts from the past week:

Volunteers discover rare birds of prey breeding in Cumbria

Plan unveiled to reintroduce White-tailed Eagle to Cumbria

Studland sees record numbers of rare butterfly

Rediscovery of rare bumblebee brings hope to South Kent

How restoring rivers' natural curves can prevent flooding

From Jerry Chinn

My cell phone rang. It was my wife, Tori. "Come downstairs quietly with your camera' she said. She was in her backyard garden, and as approached, she motioned to come over to the fence. Pointing low down to the tree just on the other side of the fence was this owl... probably the same one photographed on the ground the other day. So, there was a great horned owl in a tree, no more than 25 feet away. Amazingly, he just continued to look at us as I fired off several shots. Only when I moved around to try to get a different angled shot did he fly off.

Below are the photos mentioned from the other day.

Photo by Stephen Shpak

Don't let my cuteness fool you!

In this photograph, you can see a charming Saw-Whet Owl perched in a tree it often frequents. The initial reaction might be, "Aw, it's so cute and tiny' and while that is true, it's also important to remember that this tiny creature is a raptor!

These diminutive owls prey on mice, voles, frogs, and other small creatures, seizing them with their sharp talons. As owl season approaches, remember to maintain a respectful distance, remain silent, capture your photograph, and exit the vicinity discreetly.

Always maintain ethics in your photography! It's not worth compromising your principles for a photo. Unethical behavior not only endangers the owl's life but also risks it abandoning the area permanently, potentially depriving you and others of ever seeing it again.

(Disclaimer - Photo taken distantly at 500mm with a 1.6x crop and cropped again in post)

Photos by Bimbo Brllo

The Philippine Eagle Owl

I'm fortunate to be one of the WBPP (Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines) photographers documenting the majestic Philippine Eagle Owl, a true giant among owls, at La Mesa Eco Park in October 2022. I hope to encounter this incredible bird again soon. Happy Anniversary, WBPP!"

From Pocono Wildlife Rehab

Some of our new patients. We can't help them without your support.

I'm a bit behind on collecting new posts due to still feeling sick, so the posts today feel a little lackluster. I'm going to try to refill my archives today.

Recently all the rehab groups seem to be pushing extra hard on donations. I try not to push this stuff too hard on you guys, but I'll take a minute to say again, all these animals you love to see on here are saved purely, 100% by public donations and people and vets dedicating their time to a noble cause.

I encourage you all to find a rehabber near you to share something with if you are able. They're the ones that help the animals in your community.

I also want to note something about something you may often see. People will leave bad reviews of rehabs when they feel they are not as helpful as they should be. It is difficult to get established in rehab, due to all the licensing and certification required. It takes years, and there is no money in this business, so it is only people who are doing it for their love of animals. Please be understanding they may not always be able to do what you feel is necessary.

Here is a comment from Pocono Wildlife Rehab from a few days ago explaining:

Our apologies if we don't return EVERY phone call, email or lnstant message regarding an animal update within a week. The animals in our care are our top priority and as previously posted we are very limited on staff. There are several numbers listed on our page to call to get updates. You may also text those numbers. We TRY to get back to everyone but we literally get an average of 50-75 calls A DAY!!

Please try to be more understanding and appreciate that the animals are what comes first.

I'll add a link once I find it again to some databases of rehabbers around the world, so you can find your local rescues. Please keep them in mind this year if you are looking for a place to lend a helping hand or gift.

From Suffolk Owl Sanctuary

Spectacled owls are the largest rainforest species of owl in South America.

Unfortunately, they are expected to lose around 20% of their rainforest habitat over the next three generations of owls due to unregulated agriculture, deforestation to create palm oil plantations, mining, and over-exploitation of resources.