It seems like it must be Owl mating season.....
Somewhere in the wee hours last night I was awakened by the loud hooting of what must have been a male owl calling for a mate. I had my bedroom windows open upstairs due to the temps and sound does carry at night when things are still. Yet it seemed like the Owl was likely within a block or so of me, so loud it was.
So I just lay there and listened to him calling his mating cry every minute or so. "Whoo Whoo Whoo Whoo Whoo". This went on for some time, and eventually another male started this same routine, but he seemed to be much further away due to the volume. Looked like he was challenging the first place contender!
So a little while later, a hen answers the first guy. A very distinctive call, higher in pitch but ended up squawking somewhat like a chicken.
The first male answered and they went to vocalising back and forth for a while, with sort of like a minute or two between calls. The other male further away did answer from time to time as well.
By now I'd been awake for the better part of an hour listening to this, so just got up and closed the window so I could get some sleep. While this was pretty cool to listen to, I had to be practical as well. The hooting pretty much stopped after that. I figure the first male and the hen probably got together after that.
I related this story to my brewery GM today, as he lives nearby. He told me that he has had several instances of mating calls, and has had some success with imitating the male call. He went on to tell me that in one instance he had a male Owl swoop down over his head while doing this, and he figured the wingspan was 4 or 5 feet! He told me the breed but don't remember it just now, but it's not a Great Horned Owl or a Spotted Owl.
Ain't nature great?
:sunny:
Cheers,
RR
Somewhere in the wee hours last night I was awakened by the loud hooting of what must have been a male owl calling for a mate. I had my bedroom windows open upstairs due to the temps and sound does carry at night when things are still. Yet it seemed like the Owl was likely within a block or so of me, so loud it was.
So I just lay there and listened to him calling his mating cry every minute or so. "Whoo Whoo Whoo Whoo Whoo". This went on for some time, and eventually another male started this same routine, but he seemed to be much further away due to the volume. Looked like he was challenging the first place contender!
So a little while later, a hen answers the first guy. A very distinctive call, higher in pitch but ended up squawking somewhat like a chicken.
The first male answered and they went to vocalising back and forth for a while, with sort of like a minute or two between calls. The other male further away did answer from time to time as well.
By now I'd been awake for the better part of an hour listening to this, so just got up and closed the window so I could get some sleep. While this was pretty cool to listen to, I had to be practical as well. The hooting pretty much stopped after that. I figure the first male and the hen probably got together after that.
I related this story to my brewery GM today, as he lives nearby. He told me that he has had several instances of mating calls, and has had some success with imitating the male call. He went on to tell me that in one instance he had a male Owl swoop down over his head while doing this, and he figured the wingspan was 4 or 5 feet! He told me the breed but don't remember it just now, but it's not a Great Horned Owl or a Spotted Owl.
Ain't nature great?
:sunny:
Cheers,
RR