Status Updates From The House of Owls

Tony Angell saves a little saw whet owl that had been hit by a car. The way he managed this is incredible. First he put the little owl on a heating pad with soft towels for 2 hours so that it could warm up and then he tried to fed it raw chicken. Eventually he had to force its beak open and force feed it so that it would live and it did. Incredible. I would have no idea what to do.

This wonderful book sure makes me wish I could live in the Pacific Northwest and so get glimpses of the amazing owls that live there. "An old growth forest in the Pacific Northwest, for example, is complete if there are spotted owls present. They are uniquely suited to thrive in these diminishing and unparalleled locations."

"To whatever degree we can, we must preserve and exercise stewardship of the existing contiguous forests and pristine riparian habitats. We know what smaller owls require to thrive. When we eliminate retreats for their breeding and roosting, and satisfactory conditions for their prey, the birds suffer."

I was sad to read that the father owl heard a Swainson's Lark singing and flew over in a couple of minutes, killed it and carried it back to its owlets! I never realized that owls killed song birds as I think of them as killing mice, rats and other rodents.

Fascinating details and so funny how the mama owl had to pester the father owl to go hunt for her. She had to sit on the eggs.