At one point in my life, I had no interest in wildlife...actually at many points. For twelve years I have been influenced by children who find GREAT delight in animals, especially those in their natural habitat.
Imagine my joy when Friday night, as I was driving up our driveway, I saw a lovely owl like this one! I stopped, backed up to shine my headlights on "her", and she sat looking at my calmly. Her heart-shaped face was striking!
Here is what I found when I researched her.
"The Barn Owl is 14-20 inches in length and has a wingspan of 43-47 inches.
The barn owl often roosts and nests in buildings and hunts in areas cleared for agriculture, particularly meadows and pastures. It is perhaps the most distinctive looking owl with its long legs and heart-shaped face.
Like other owls, the barn owl can locate and capture prey in total darkness using its hearing alone. This is accomplished with asymmetrically positioned ear openings, and the aid of the facial disks.
They feed primarily on rodents but will occasionally capture small birds. These owls nest during any month of the year and are believed to mate for life. A pair of barn owls will raise 1-3 broods per year. The young stay in the nest for 55-65 days and are fed by both sexes.
Many farmers encourage the presence of this excellent mouser in their barns. These owls are rare to uncommon and a decline has been noted in the East."
Thank you, children, for teaching me to find great joy in animals!
3 comments:
Beautiful! And I like it that the Dad helps out ;)
oh, Kathy, I'm dying here. That
is beautiful!!! Uhm, they also capture small cats, long story!
Wow!! Awesome job capturing her!!
I borrrowed the pic from the internet. I WISH I had photography skills like some of my relatives. Ahem.
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