HI Jeremy,

14th Pl NE and NE Falls Dr. is just one of several areas in Issaquah
Highlands where a number of people experienced owl attacks on or around
this date last year. Is it possible that Barred Owlets are starting to
leave the parental home range, so that parents might be acting extra
protective at this time of year? I posted the warning of early morning
attacks on the Issaquah Highlands FB Group, advising people to wear hats at
that time since I do Bear Smart and wildlife educational outreach in the
community. So, thanks for sharing your post. Perhaps we'll get some
responses with owl ID's.


*Nadine Drisseq*
*Biologist, **Bear Smart WA*

*PO Box 152*
*Issaquah, WA. 98027*

Tel: (530) 628-7787 (call / text)
bearsmartwa at gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/BearSmartWA/

On Sat, Sep 9, 2017 at 9:44 AM, Jeremy Davis <davisjp23 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Hey all,
>
> I was sent this from a buddy of mine who saw it on the Facebook page for
> the Seattle Mountain Running Group. Be careful out there!
>
> Thanks,
> Jeremy Davis
> Kenmore, WA
>
> ~~~~~~~
>
> Jeff Ziegler > Seattle Mountain Running Group
>
> Around 5:50 this morning, I was running behind Issaquah High School and
> had just turned onto the High School Trail to head up to the Lake Tradition
> Plateau, when I was hit on the back of the head. I turned around to see if
> someone had snuck up behind me or if I had hit a low branch. Seeing
> nothing, I again faced forward and saw what I thought was a reflection of
> an eyeball from my hand lamp moving up the trail around the corner. I
> followed around the corner, shined my light up the trail and saw an owl
> sitting on a branch about 100 feet ahead. Deciding it would be best to not
> continue up the trail, I turned around and headed back the way I had come.
> I had traveled maybe 30-40 feet when I was again struck on the back of the
> head. This time I backed up the trail towards the high school parking lot
> as the owl watched from a branch.
>
> At this point I was a little spooked, so I decided to run around in town
> for a while. As it started to get light and I turned off my hand lamp, I
> realized I wasn?t wearing my headlamp anymore. What I had thought had been
> the reflection of light from the owls eye, was actually my headlamp the owl
> was carrying up the trail after picking it off my head.
>
> I then headed to Grand Ridge. Around 7:15as I was heading down the Grand
> Ridge Trail, a commotion stirred about 10 feet in front of me as an owl
> took flight from a stump, and took up watch perched on a branch above the
> trail in front of me. Learning my lesson from earlier, I picked up a stick
> and started back pedaling back up the trail. I took a quick look behind me
> to check out where I was going, and when I turned back forward, I saw the
> owl had swooped down towards me. I started waving the stick in front of me
> and over my head. The owl put the brakes on mid-air, momentarily hovered
> over me, and then retreated to a branch a couple of dozen feet in front of
> me. Without taking my eye off the owl, I reached down, picked up a rock,
> and threw it off the trunk of the tree the owl was on, and it retreated to
> another tree farther down the trail. I continued back pedaling up the trail
> until the owl was well out of site.
>
> I then headed back across I-90 to the Lake Tradition Plateau. Around 8:00 I
> picked up a stick at the top of the High School Trail and headed down with
> the intent to look for my headlamp. About half way down I had second
> thoughts and decided I would detour onto what I think is the Boundary Trail
> through Park Pointe. Just as I made that decision, I was nailed on the back
> of the head for the third time this morning. I?m not sure if it was the
> same owl as from the first attack, but I was probably still .4 of mile up
> the trail from where the first attacked had occurred. Once again I back
> pedaled up the trail until the owl was well out of site. I probably look
> pretty stupid the last couple of miles back to my car waving a stick in the
> air, and my head on a swivel.
>
> I?m not sure what the deal is. I?ve run hundreds of miles on Grand Ridge
> and Tiger Mountain, including a few dozen in the dark, and never been
> attacked or buzzed by an owl, much less three times in one morning. I?m now
> in the market for a new headlamp, and maybe a helmet and body armor.
>
> ~~~~~~~
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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>