My mother-in-law once hit a Great Horned Owl, or some other such beast, with her car. Apparently it was pretty impressive.

First link is a direct link to an MP3. I first heard the bird last year at this time, at he's been around again lately, usually after 10:00. It's always the same call, which was surprisingly easy to find in the bird-ID book on our book shelf, and when I looked for an MP3, both my wife and I immediately recognized the call.

He's still outside my window hooting. It's times like this I wish for night vision goggles.

That's totally cool! I have a barn owl who screeches at me every night (despite the fact that there are no barns nearby). No rat problems, I'm happy to say.

Oops. Barn owl mp3 here.

Arrgh. Read "and" for "at" in the non-"more inside" comment, and wow, brainwidth, they are pretty damn big birds. I hope she didn't bust the windshield.

Come to think, the only live GHO I ever saw was on the road, too. It must have swooped down to grab something just as we came around a bend - they are big, and impressive-looking birds (even at night, and in headlights).

As I understand it, the windshield held. The owl, six foot wing-span and all, was apparently not quite dead. My father-in-law had to shoot it.

During the Toronto film fest this year I wandered into a book store and there was a guy in there with 2 owls and a hawk! It was hella impressive seeing them up close and being able to touch them. The guy had a million fascinating facts, all of which I currently forget. Birds are neat!

We have a tall television antenna attached to the side of our house, we left it up when we moved in because it doubles as a ladder for quick roof access. Starting the second year that I lived here and up until this spring, two great horned owls would sit on the antenna every morning. One at either end, they sat hooting back and forth. It was weird.

I frequently heard them at night/in the mornings but I had no idea they were right on top of the house until I went for a jog really early one morning and there was a full moon, I could faintly see them. I have not heard/seen them since spring so I guess they have moved elsewhere. Shame in a way, but then I do have two cats that spend the nights outside. They have a corner of the sunporch with a pet door where they sleep, but I know they go out in the yard some at night as well.

Huge birds. I had no idea until I saw those two, and still no real idea until I shined a flashlight on them from right under the antenna and saw them spread wings and fly off.

Owl pellets

Before the fucking asshole developers cut down the Big Trees (second growth climax forest Doug Fir), there were two GHO who lived there in the winter. When the koi ponds froze over, my sister would go skating with a ghetto blaster playing Strauss waltzes. The GHOs would hoot along. Blue Danube with owl accompaniment. In time with the music, no less.

la la la la la HOOT HOOT hoot hoot...
la la la la la HOOT HOOT hoot hoot...
usw

It was a total crackup.

hoot it in the caps lock thread, you big baby
HOOT i say HOOT

i almost regret this
≡ Click to see image ≡
except i don't

When I lived in a cabin in the North Cascades, my roommates' cat would run inside whenever she heard an owl and hide under the couch. She was the oldest cat in the valley. But eventually a coyote got her.

I remember once coming around a corner at an old apartment complex I lived in, on the third floor balcony, and right there in the branches of the tree that came over the railing, was sitting a big old barn owl, looking RIGHT at me with his GIANT eyes. Gave me quite a startle.

I hadn't realized that barn owls screamed instead of hooting. I just thought I was living in a neighborhood with a lot of rapes or something.

everyone says the ungodly sound i use to hear was peacocks. wretched creatures. this place is austin was covered in 'em. apparently elvis spent his lost day there.

peacocks make weird noises. pretty birds but annoying as hell.