[TN-Bird] barn owl update-bad news
- From: <dirtdigger@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "tn-bird" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 09:22:40 -0500
after about 1 1/2 weeks of observing the barn owl family in the huge silver
maple tree in our yard, yesterday morning we found one of the older birds dead
on the ground under the tree. there appeared to be no cause of death. there
wasn't a mark on it-just dead. i called twra and was referred to warner park
nature center where they told me i could put the body in a plastic bag and into
the freezer and deliver it soon to them and they would have it mounted and use
it for training and education. that seems a fitting end for such a beautiful
bird and certainly better than just burial as was first suggested. that left
us with another adult bird and two younger adults probably from a previous
hatch earlier this year. a couple came to view them last night and it seems
that that was the last chance to see a grown barn owl here as today when we
went out, the other grown (parent) was dead on the ground under the tree-again,
not a mark on it. any ideas what is causing this? old age, deconned rodents,
avian flu? i'll call twra again today and see what he has to say. now we're
down to 2 older babies who've been hunting previously to help feed the little
ones in the nest cavity. it's pretty apparent we'll have to rescue the
littlest ones (we've yet to see them so don't know how many) as i doubt the
older babies can take care of them. any ideas from anyone? such a sad day to
add to the overwhelming sadness associated with the plight of those folks along
the gulf coast. thanks for any suggestions you may have.
p.s. because our elderly neighbor lady took a photo in 1994 of a barn owl in a
tall shrub right outside her kitchen window (which is directly under the nest
tree where the birds now live) we have reason to believe there have been barn
owls in this tree for a long time tho we've not noticed them til recently, it
may just be possible that these birds died simply of old age and that would be
my hope i guess. we've only lived here a short time.
jan donaldson
watertown, TN
SE wilson county
Other related posts:
