Ann, All,

I second Pete Hammill. It is almost surely a Barred Owl. Owls often have
a much greater diversity of vocalizations than the most standard one. The
best known and most easilly recognized vocalization of the Barred Owl is the
"Who cooks for you" hoots.
What you described sounds like what has been called the "whooaah" call,
which I've been told is a warning call. This fits in with your having been
hit with some talons. I've often heard of Barred Owls swooping at people
with varying degrees of threat, from just a close swoop, to a hit on the
head with closed talons, grabbing a hat, or an attack with talons in a worst
case scenario. The report I got of a serious attack was on a local owl
bander that I believe had previously kidnapped the parent owl's young to put
aluminum bracelets on them. Like crows, I expect owls recognize individual
people that have harmed or helped them. So far, I haven't experienced such
attacks myself. I have been warned with a "whooaah" from about 14' away,
startling me, after spending an afternoon intensely looking for the Barred
Owls nest. I think I must have gotten close and the owl was telling me to
cool it. I've also heard of a Screech Owl in Wisconson hitting someone on
the head with closed talons whenever that person came by.

Stewart

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





-----Original Message-----
From: Ann Spiers Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 12:55 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] what owl?


What owl would swoop from behind, absolutely noiseless, and apply quickly,
but not grasp, talons on the side of the head of human walkers?. The owl
does a sharp turn and comes back for a second close fly by. These "laying on
of talons" occurred along a wide grass pathway through alder and good sized
firs. Artificial light falls on the path from nearby outbuildings. The
encounters occur most often immediately after dark. After listening to
Cornell's bird tapes and DNR guide with owl sounds on the web, I cannot
match what we all heard nite after nite to the notes or screeches on the
tapes. This owl emits one "hoo," not a succession of sounds nor is there a
pattern to it. The sound is one long low ooooooooooo with a fillip at the
end--sometimes up as if a question and sometimes just insistent. Sometime
one hoo and not another. Sometime hoo and then another but not close nor in
a pattern. On the tapes, I listened to Great Grey, Barn, Barred, Great
Horn,Spotted owls. Who has one long note?



I saw the owl take a turn in the dusk light after bonking me. Big wing
span, three plus foot wing span, grey on grey. But it was dark. Usually when
hit, the person hit does not see the approach and is in crouch mode so
doesn't see the bird at all on his return.



I am a beginning birder.

Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 270.7.6/1711 - Release Date: 10/6/2008
5:37 PM