Barred Owl Visitor

Barred Owl Visitor

by Glenda
(Colbert, GA)

About three weeks ago (Mid December) my husband and I were sitting on our deck about 8 o'clock at night, when I caught a what appeared to be a shadow coming up from under our deck.

I followed it with my eyes, and it lit - a huge barred owl. He perched on a the end of a wood swing set about 10 feet from where I was sitting.

He very regally sat, and stared, first at me, then slowly turned toward my husband, and looked straight at him for a while. Then he turned back toward me, sitting there, very still, staring straight into my eyes.

Next he turned his head all the way around - around the back - and looked at my husband from the other side. This went on for about 10 minutes - the owl did not move, except for turning his head.

He did not appear the least bit concerned about human proximity. Finally, he spread his wings, and flew off into the woods below our house.

This was absolutely fascinating - I've never seen an owl this close in the wild.

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Barred Owl Visitor

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Jan 09, 2010
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Touching
by: Anonymous

What a touching tale... It is good that you were able to help it leave this world without more suffering.

That also brings to mind the one other time in my life that I had close contact with a wild owl. I was with the local Sheriff's Dept., and worked mounted patrol at a local county park.

I and another deputy had overlapping shifts. As he drove into the jail property, to pick up his car for the midnight shift (the park had a camp ground), he saw a small young screech owl by the side of the driveway. He stopped and discovered it was injured, probably hit by a car.

He gathered the owl up, in a box, with a blanket, as you did, and brought it to the park - we took it over to the park director's house (a Nature Center was also connected to the park). She had some contacts, and was able to get it checked out.

It wasn't injured badly, but couldn't fly. The park director nursed it back to health, and released it into the woods near the park a few weeks later. This was about 25 years ago.

Jan 09, 2010
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Owl experience
by: Anonymous

Thank you for sharing your story! I had a total visual just by reading it. What an incredibly awesome experience for the two of you. So exhilarating!

I had an unbelievable experience with a Barn Owl. but alas.... it was not so joyous. It was sick.. and literally coming to us for help. It came and sat on my wall.. in the middle of the day.. asking for help. It got down and slowly started walking off into the desert.

I knew something was terribly wrong, watching that majestic bird, slowly walk away. Out of character. I put a close basket over it.. and a blanket over that.. to keep it from extreme stress.. and slid a board under the basket.. and proceeded to take it to a wildlife bird sanctuary where we learned that it had a disease of the mouth caused by eating too many doves.

It was not going to make it, so it was humanly Euthanize. First all Yellow barn owl the sanctuary had ever seen in its forty year existence. Poor thing. How smart it was to ask for help.

I'll tell you though, I was proud to help it die a painless death.. than have it ripped up by some other predatory wildlife.
Glad you had such a "Happy experience".
Cindy

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