Great Horned Owl?
- Thread starter usafvet
- Start date
if that actually is a owl, i give him credit for getting that pic. if its a cluster of leaves i give him credit of getting that pic as well, cause i wouldnt be able to lol
Looks like it lol, I wasn't too sure... I just figured it was a Great Horned... are they common in NJ? I've never seen an owl with that color, thats why I thought it was young.
Cool picture. I love owls. I have some in the area that I hunt. A little after sunset they start hooting back and forth. I had one this past fall land just above my head a couple trees away. I was able to observe him for about 5 minutes before he split, I was hoping he would hoot while perched there but no such luck. I had a sharpie land in my tree about 5 feet from my head and he put on a good show, he perched there and called for a least 5 minutes. Real loud when you are that close. The only thing not camo was my eye holes in my face mask. I was afraid he would see my eyes move and come over for a snack thinking it was some thing much smaller.
Yeah, great photo. This, along with HawkinNative's vulture photos, have made my evening. Thanks for posting. Screech owls are cool ... I hear them all the time (and have recorded quite a few, but always from a distance), but have yet to see one in the wild. There's a bunch of 'em down at the game preserve by Al's town. Spooky sounding calls, send chills up the ol' spineroo. I plan to stalk position some future night, inviting a screecher to step on up to the mics ...
When temps get just a bit more toasty, that is.
Bring on more bird photos!
When temps get just a bit more toasty, that is.
Bring on more bird photos!
Second the Screech Owl id.
A GHO from Wells Mill CP. Note the Hummingbird on a strafing run in the second shot
GHO's are nesting now, listen for them hooting around dusk.
A GHO from Wells Mill CP. Note the Hummingbird on a strafing run in the second shot
GHO's are nesting now, listen for them hooting around dusk.
That would explain the scary noises coming out of Berlin Park. First I heard the screeching a couple of months ago. I thought that noise had something to do with the Red Tail Hawks. Now I hear the Horned Owls.
A very good online resource for Owls. They have audio files for many species.
http://www.owlpages.com/index.php
http://www.owlpages.com/index.php
Note the Hummingbird on a strafing run in the second shot
Incredible photo. I mean, really, really incredible.
Thanks for sharing the great shots and info, 46er. The best great-horned owl recording I got last year was pre-dawn (I usually don't head out at dusk, as aircraft traffic is heavy and spoils recordings), late summer, at a Laurel Lake game preserve. Two of them, after an entire night of GHO silence, suddenly got the urge to sound off. I'm sure they thought I was a hoot, as well, dancing with joy that I'd picked a nice spot to set up the field recorder. "Hoot, Men!," Whip chanted (under his breath), accompanying the fancy footwork. The owls sure made it worth my while sitting out there all night. Some screechers had went off at midnight, and I sat there until the darkest-before-dawn hours for the GHOs. Drove home at 5am, tired as hell, but with a huge smile on my face.
Would you say now is their most active time of the year, vocally? If so, I'll have to dig out my mittens, long-johns, the recorder, the hot-chocolate thermos, saw up some firewood, recruit Alfie for some warm conversation, maybe Marvin, and brave the cold for a night.
Edit: I have no idea how I put a green ocean tag over this post.