We had an enjoyable mid day trip to Camp Long today, and watched the Barred
Owl youngsters (3) and an adult for some time. One of the owlets coughed up
a pellet while we were there. We were drawn to the owls' exact location on
the nature trail by Robin alarm calls. Perhaps Robin is part of the diet,
as well as crow? On our way around the loop, we found a Robin nest
containing young in some low shrubs, and nearby was a hunting adult Barred
Owl. No crows in sight today.

Other notable birds, were Swainson's Thrush, Golden Crowned Kinglets with
young, and Black Throated Gray Warbler. Absent, and surprised by this,
Oregon Juncos. They are apparently nesting in Lincoln Park this year.

It was an enjoyable day.

Mark and Janeanne
West Seattle

Janeanne Houston
www.elmgroveproductions.com
www.northwestartists.org
houstojc at plu.edu
janeannesoprano at comcast.net
This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more
beautifully, more devotedly than ever before- Leonard Bernstein, 1963




> -----Original Message-----
> From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
> [mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu]On Behalf Of Stewart
> Wechsler
> Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 6:51 PM
> To: tweeters
> Subject: [Tweeters] West Seattle Barred owls eat crow
>
>
> Since were on the subject of the loss of nighthawks in Seattle and the
> possibility that the crow population explosion is an important factor, I'm
> especially interested in those who eat crow. While showing the Barred Owl
> family (2 adults + 3 juveniles) at Camp Long in West Seattle to 2 people
> that came to see them we watched an adult owl chase a crow that came to
> harass it. We rooted for the Barred Owl. It seemed close, but the crow
> escaped. (the highlight for me was for my first time seeing an owl vomit
> out a pellet. We also got to see the owls from close up as they made a
> number of their different vocalizations.) The next day one of the owl
> watchers returned to see the juveniles being fed crow. I went
> back to check
> for the evidence yesterday and found feathers from an unfledged crow
> (feathers still partially sheathed). The pellet the day before had a dark
> (probable tail) feather, but I wasn't sure if it was large enough for a
> crow. I don't expect that an increasing number of Barred Owls
> will diminish
> the population of crows, but it was a nice idea that the immigrant owl
> species might help their goat sucking cousins even while they eat their
> spotted and screech owl brethren.
>
> Stewart Wechsler
> Ecological Consulting
> West Seattle
> 206 932-7225
> ecostewart at quidnunc.net
>
> -Advice on the most site-appropriate native plants
> and how to enhance habitat for the maximum diversity
> of plants and animals
> -Educational programs, nature walks and field trips
> -Botanical Surveys
>
> --
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.8/37 - Release Date: 7/1/2005
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tweeters mailing list
> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters
>