Subject: Re: Owling
Date: Jan 27 13:25:06 1998
From: Michael Price - mprice at mindlink.bc.ca


Hi Tweets,

Rob Conway writes:

>Awoke last night to Saw-whet calls (snip) We had a nice conversation going
when from
>behind me I heard a booming Great Horned call - she was sitting on my
>roof about 30' behind me - after that dead silence from the Saw-whet and
>she moved deep into a 30' red cedar. Great Horned flew off after about 2
>minutes, but I couldn't get the Saw-whet to talk again.

I don't wonder dead silence and a quick slink into the redcedar from the
saw-whet--my, what big *talons* you have, Grandmama--though if great horneds
eat saw-whets, why would it call to let the potential prey species know it
was there? After going to all the trouble of developing specialised flight
feathers which allow a silent final approach glide, why would the horned owl
obviate this predatory advantage by calling?

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)