I hope you do, because I've been getting tons of great pics and stories of them, so they'll be quite a few. Most of this year's young ones will be under their parents supervision to some extent yet to get them through their first winter.
Even with help, it's a tough life to live in the wild. Even though as adults they will be top predators, many others will see them as key to their survival while they are small. I see widely ranging numbers, but only 25 to 50% will make it through their first year.
I wish the best of luck to all these little owls, and I hope to see them with their own babies soon!
You have heard the expression “wolf in sheep’s clothing”? With the Great Grey Owl, it is more a case of “little owl in big owl clothing.” Though this owl is the largest owl in North America – measuring about 2 feet tall (61 cm) – it weighs only 2-4 pounds (0.9 - 1.8 kg). Compare that with a Eurasian Eagle-owl, which is just slightly larger, but weighs 3-9 pounds (1.4 - 4.0 kg) and you will see what we mean. Why is this so? Great Grey Owls have relatively small bodies but are covered in so many dense layers of long feathers that they appear to be much bulkier than they are. It would be like you wearing all your clothes at once, which would definitely make you look much bigger. One advantage to this could be protective – a large appearance can be deceiving to predators and make them think twice before attacking such large prey.
Soooo, this is a very complex question, but we can look at a few things.
We'll start with one of the easiest aspects. Part of our fascination with owls is their ability to blend into nature, so many of the photos we get are going to be selected to highlight this thing which is amazing to us. If you go back through all the owl pics here, there are absolutely some, where even when cropped in tightly, are still pretty invisible. Others are fairly distant, and you can still see them well. Especially when moving, camouflage loses much of its effectiveness. That is why owls spend most of their day motionless, just sitting and observing.
Now, does an owl have awareness of its camouflage? Owls have been around for 60 million years. They are almost everywhere in the world and have become successful in almost any ecosystem. If you pick any random owl, you're most likely going to find a brown or grey as a main color. Even of you didn't add any patterning, it's still a very good start to blend in to a backdrop of trees. Over many generations, we're going to be left with owls who are born with a sense of what works. Blending in with your background is called crypsis, or cryptic camouflage. It's something done by countless animals. For the owls, even when they don't blend in perfectly, they are still not very noticeable. They are generally up above their prey, and probably hear most prey before it has a chance to see them. It doesn't need to be perfectly invisible all the time, just long enough to get it time to get the jump on their target.
These images have them standing out pretty well, but the owls have also been pointed out to us by the photographer, they are still reasonably hidden, and we aren't a tiny rodent crawling much lower, and we're examining it with human intelligence. The only thing that will likely give this owl away to the prey is movement when it takes off.
Birds have a bit more intelligence than some other organisms of course, and there is evidence that owls have some sense of self awareness of their camouflage. Owls will contort their body and feathers to elongate and slim down to better mimic a tree branch when they wish to hide. They also seem to know their eyes are noticeable and will shut their eyes to become even more hidden. Here is a pic of Flammy from the other week showing what a difference closed eyes can make.
Owls will get much feedback from their camouflage ability. As a predator, they will learn what works or what doesn't, and I'm sure by now much of that is in their genes. They also need to stay hidden during the day to avoid attacks by other animals that don't want them around so they will learn what places they get bothered less.
I'm disappointed I haven't seen any studies specifically on this, but I will keep my eyes out for any. The things I've mentioned seem to be a combination of thoughts that I could find. I did see some neat thing about how some Japanese quails learn if they lay eggs with darker or lighter spots and will then make future nests in lighter or darker locations to help them blend in more, so there are many cool tricks bird have to be invisible. How much is genetic/mimicry/learned still seems to be up for debate, but it is all fascinating.
They have some really great adaptations. They have longer wings than the average bird, requiring less flapping. I likened this before to a larger cooling fan being able to run at a lower RPM to provide the same CFM, making the fan quieter, which seemed to explain it well to a tech crowd like we have here.
Their feathers are also much less dense and more flexible than other birds, and the trailing edges are fringed to break up the major turbulence to kill sound. Getting to handle owl feathers is one of the most informative things I've experienced in my amateur owl research. If you've never had the chance, I encourage any owl fans to go to a local program where you can learn about owl. They will usually pass around bones and feathers or wings and you can really learn a lot by touch.
Yesterday I posted a photo of this owl doing the over head wing stretch. Here is a photo taken moments before of him doing the one wing stretch. Many birds do it and they basically stand on one leg and stretch their wing down as far as they can. was shooting in horizontal mode here and when he suddenly did the stretch, I had too much lens and it happened so quick, didn't have time to reorient the camera to a vertical mode., so didn't capture the fullest extent of the stretch.
This guy always provides a good bit of commentary. Some can be a little odd, but it's a nice change from the usual in nothing or just a vague location and camera info.
Bananas other than the Cavendish and a greater variety of potatoes. There are supposed to be so many varieties of each out there, but we only get one banana and 3 or 4 potatoes.
The cherimoya is also pretty good from what I remember, so I would like to have that again for >$5.
I thought it was so good and bad at the same time. (But I feel the bad lasts longer!). I've had candy, wafers, and dried forms. The worst has always been that it makes me burp and it tastes like a restaurant dumpster smells.
It's like in a movie when someone's mind is fed ask the knowledge in the universe until they're overwhelmed and turn to dust or explode, but for taste buds.
I came across an article called Owls — Not Quite as Clever as We Think and after the post about AI generated images and today's is it real or isn't it pic of the Northern Lights https://lemmy.world/post/15495156, I felt now was the right time to share this article and see some of your opinions on the matter. I feels it's a...
Very fair thoughts. For animals in the wild I heartily agree.
Does the same apply to, for example, the captive raised Barn Owls from the article for the staged window shoot, or the Hedwig "actors?" While still technically wild, they are not from the wild and are used to human handling. For the Barn Owls in the article, is it being a staged shot for a documentary the issue and Harry Potter is obviously fiction so the staged owl stuff is ok?
(For you and anyone else I talk to in this thread, I'm not challenging your opinions, just trying to get deeper into conversation. I know we're all probably accustomed to responses to moral issues being attacks on our opinions, but I hope you all see this group as a place safe from that type of thing!)
Apologies, I meant wild in they are not domesticated animals like a dog/cat/horse. While captive raised owls aren't from the wild, it is not their nature to live that closely with us. Some could look at them in a fun AnimalsWithJobs way, while others could see them as circus animals made to perform while a person gets paid for it way. There are definite concerns when we entrust these animals to their care when Hedwig's handlers and other related entertainment oriented groups are given custody of these animals.
Especially once profit becomes involved, some people's morality can become quite...flexible. There are a ton of great people out there working with animals in all capacities, from volunteers to for-profit businesses, but they all have the same responsibility to care for these animals. I support zoos for instance, and thankfully I've only ever been to one that I felt should have been shut down (it was!) and I am glad they are under pretty consistent scrutiny, because they should be. So I try to keep my opinions on a case-by-case basis, especially since many of these jobs are hard work with long hours and don't pay well, so most people are going to be dedicated to animal welfare, but I am all for removing animals from anyone not treating them with respect.
They took down the bird netting way too early during construction on my loading dock and some Finches started bringing in nesting material up in the rafters. I thought all the noise of moving heavy things, running my equipment, and the hammer drilling, sometimes directly on the rafter they were in would have gotten them to look for a different location. They're still there now, so I imagine they've got eggs up in there now.
I found another blog post discussing stress in owls you may find interesting.
The article did end nicely. As I'd said, the tone is different than most things I share here, and between the title and initial standoffishness he had towards owls, it was a lovely conclusion to the story.
I'm glad there's a handful of you guys that enjoy these articles. I'm here for the learning, and I feel the articles and longer posts could be great things we can all talk about. I try to keep them for the weekend too so people more likely have some time to read them, but I feel they always underperform. I'm probably expecting too much and most people are probably here just to see a happy looking birdy, which is perfectly ok, but I also hope they at least read a little of the educational stuff too. I started off posting mainly for the neat birds too, but there is so much more to owls than I ever could have imagined. A lot of it applies to other birds too, so it's fun to see some of what I learn in the birds I typically come across.
I want you all to always know I appreciate you coming to look at the photos and read the articles. It's fun to have people to share it with, even if most of you are quiet or not as serious about it.
I've seen some wild articles about owls being used in Halloween costumes, some involving amateur wing clipping, and others with glue to keep them from flying away. Some people really disappoint me.
Things like the article's staged window shoot seem fine, as he was just waiting for them to move. Things like drones and smaller cameras that can be remotely operated seem to help both the animals and people. With the Sea World drama being mostly resolved, I feel we've come a long way in using animals improperly.
I really enjoyed the Prehistoric Planet series that Apple TV and David Attenborough did. I thought that was done beautifully enough and told such interesting stories that I would further I was watching pure CGI.
One of the chapters in What An Owl Knows that I believe I shared here talked about how drones have been extremely helpful in research involving the Blakiston's Fish Owl. Their nests are very high up along freezing cold rivers in very difficult terrain and they were so poorly researched due to that. The drones let the researchers work from a base camp, keeping them from spending multiple days slowly disturbing the owl's territory and climbing trees looking for nests. Now they can just get in and out. It seems safer by far for the people, and less disturbing to an animal not used to people.
You've reminded me I forgot to share the controversy with the aurora photo!
Usually when I come across amazing shots there will be people challenging them on this and that, but I felt the challengers may have been right in this instance.
Someone asked how the owl was lit, and he said he had used a flash. Flash photography of owls is a debated subject, and here is a brief Audubon article about it.
That admission led to the further accusations that this photographer purposefully set up a camera too close to this nest (I'm not sure the effective range of a flash at night) and blasted this bird with light as it was flying back towards its tree, which is not the safest thing for an owl. It sounds much like if someone would shine a light in your face while trying to park a car.
The other claims were that this was a composite image, which looking at it again, seems likely. The photography people, much like what you said, said to photograph the aurora takes a long exposure, and to get the owl is a fast exposure. The photographer did not mention before or after if it was a composite or not.
Here's the pic in question for anyone just joining in:
I was scrolling for some more Superbowls when I came across this and thought it was a perfect Friday picture. Nuthatches and the Carolina Wrens are some of my favorite birds to watch. They seem to have no understanding of gravity, and it looks like so much fun.
I found this by checking out his feed after I was reading some criticism on an owl photo during the northern lights he had shared. It seems some of the criticisms on that were likely valid, but the rest of his photos I looked at where pretty good, and this one was just too good not to share.
They are my second favorite songbird, tied with the similarly behaved Carolina Wren. I have the White Breasted Nuthatches where I am, not these guys though.
They're like little cartoon characters, just walking up and down walls and across the ceiling without ever giving it a second thought. I don't know how anyone would not be amused by these little birds.
Lol I always put it on my list of old people characteristics I now seem to have.
They are pretty great! They're a ton of kinds just about anywhere you go. They're generally not scary. They sing. Most would be considered pretty. They're dinosaurs. Some you can train or befriend. And a bunch more.
I thought so myself. I didn't pay much attention to where it was supposed to be since it was cloudy and rainy the whole time where I'm at.
I did go back to the post and read the comments, and some people did mention a few opinions as to this photo's authenticity and potential ethical issues. I debated bringing them up here, but I think I have another article where for later that it may be relevant to, so I think I'll save it for that and let people enjoy this now.
The pair of downvotes this had gotten already leads me to believe some of you have likely the same criticisms in the Facebook comments. I'd rather people politely point out to us non-photogtaphers how to spot these things instead of just clicking the down arrow, but we'll work with what we have.
For now, I'll say this photo is based on a true story! 😜
Not sure as to the male/female. The males do all the hunting during the nesting period, but they also cache extra food and the female will step out quick to get that as needed.
Also, if you provide a feeder or water, make sure you keep them clean. Feeders especially can get moldy from moisture, so keep them clean and dry. I have this one that comes apart completely for easy cleaning.
Annoying the local birds ( sh.itjust.works )
Big eyes ( i.imgur.com )
Screech Babies ( lemmy.world )
From Cynthia Rand...
Hide and seek with the longest owl, the Great Grey ( lemmy.world )
Photo by Alan Murphy...
Owl Stretches ( lemmy.world )
Photos by Harold Wilion...
What vegetables and fruits do you wish were commonly available in the US?
Tree Walker ( lemmy.world )
Photo by Harold Wilion...
What is the weirdest flavoured thing you've had?
Was it good?
Discussing wildlife photography ethics, including the story why this Flammy looks quite displeased ( lemmy.world )
I came across an article called Owls — Not Quite as Clever as We Think and after the post about AI generated images and today's is it real or isn't it pic of the Northern Lights https://lemmy.world/post/15495156, I felt now was the right time to share this article and see some of your opinions on the matter. I feels it's a...
Pygmy Nuthatches ( lemmy.world )
Photo by Alan Murphy Photography...
Owl-rora Bore-owl-is ( lemmy.world )
From Alan Murphy...
Climate Change and Housing Adaptation: Owl Edition ( lemmy.world )
I just came upon this great article and wanted to share it with you all to highlight an issue we probably don't spend much time thinking about....
Cute little sleeping Screech Owl ( lemmy.world )
Spotted in the Ottawa wildlife refuge in Ohio, USA