How mean-spirited you are!

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From: "Jim Greaves" <lbviman at blackfoot.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 12:17 PM
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Ssssh. Don't tell the cat people

> I love it! Not only a cat that can't seem to sustain its puny self, but a
> stupid dog, all in a day's walk! The dog is likely "the apple" of its
> owner's eye, which gives one paws to ponder... Just hope the cat was not
> poisoned by the newt, thus potentially passing it to the owl... - Jim in
> MT
>
> At 01:01 PM 1/26/2010, tweeters-request at mailman2.u.washington.edu wrote:
>>I went for a hike at Lord Hill park today (Snohomish Counties biggest
>>park).
>>As I intersected the pipeline trail there was a large brown blob on the
>>ground at the edge of the grass. With binos it turned out to be a Barred
>>owl on the ground eating something. Since I have found this owl to be
>>very
>>approachable, I walked up towards it for a better look and was
>>disappointed
>>when it flew up into a tree way before I got very close. I thought I
>>would
>>examine its prey, and I expected to find a rabbit. Instead it was a
>>smallish
>>house cat. As I looked it over it was very gaunt and kind of unkempt
>>looking, which is typical of feral animals. As I walked back to my car I
>>pondered the idea that this new comer owl may provide some controls on
>>feral
>>cats in local parks. Feral cats have been shown to be detrimental to
>>ground
>>nesting song birds and other wildlife and in some places their populations
>>are very high. I began wondering how big an animal (cat) a Barred owl
>>might
>>take.
>>
>>Rob Sandelin
>>Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
>>Snohomish County.
>>
>>PS. I also met an acquaintance at the park who witnessed a dog over the
>>weekend who was having convulsions after eating a rough-skinned newt
>>earlier
>>on the trail. Since these amphibians contain a potent and deadly toxin
>>this
>>makes sense but it is the first time I have ever heard of a dog eating
>>one.
>>I suppose as these creatures migrate to local ponds they might form a
>>hazard
>>to dogs.
>
>
>