A few years ago, George and I were on the CBC and stopped to explain what we
were doing to the renter that lived in the home at the base of Bald Butte.
Her dogs came to say hello and the small dachshund had shaved sides. The
dog's owner said he had been grabbed by an owl. I don't remember if she
said she actually saw the owl, but the wounds in the dogs side looked, to my
inexperienced eyes, consistent with talon wounds. Had it been a coyote, I
doubt the little dog would have escaped. If it was an owl, however, the
little dog's survival suggested that the owl tackled more than it could
handle.



We have GH Owls in the yard year-round. Judging by the owl pellets, the
vast majority of their diet is small rodents and a few birds robin-sized or
smaller. I read a study once (don't remember the source now) in which they
concluded GH Owls are more likely to tackle larger prey when they are
feeding youngsters. That's consistent with what I've seen. Rabbits and
larger birds, like Gray Partridge, seem to be most likely to prey items in
winter and spring, but maybe their remains are easier to find in the snow.



Individual owls seem to have different dietary preferences or skill at
getting larger animals. One year, we had an owl that would regularly perch
on the utility pole. Gray Partridge wings appeared regularly at the base of
the pole.



Another year, the owls used a magpie nest in a juniper near the entrance to
the driveway. One of the parent owls was unusually good at bringing large
prey to the 2 youngsters. I found pigeon wings, rabbit parts, gray
partridge, quail, and, once, two matching male Mallard wings. Mallards
weigh about 2 pounds. They owl probably didn't carry it very far and
probably left the head behind, but, still, very impressive. This owl
brought such a steady stream of goodies, the dogs would make a beeline to
the tree when I let them out in the morning to see what prizes the owl Santa
had left them overnight. Unfortunately, the nest site was in one of the
windiest places in the yard. A wind storm blew the nest apart one night.
Both owlets survived the nest destruction. I saw one of the parents feeding
them a day or two after the storm, but the large prey remains suddenly
stopped and there was only one adult owl. I don't know if the wind storm
was the reason for the other parent's demise or if it was coincidence. They
remaining parent made a valiantly effort to finish rearing the youngsters,
but I found their emaciated corpses in the yard within a few weeks. The
smaller of the two starved first and the second followed a week later.



To get back on topic, I've never found any dog or cat remains in the yard.
My smallest dog weighs over 50 lbs and I have no cats, but I have neighbors
with small dogs and free-roaming cats.



Kelly Cassidy

Pullman