Little visitor to the shop

[Joe Pelonio]

Any bird experts? This owl is about 6" tall and parked himself in one of the stalls normally used for cars. He is alert and responds by making noises and opening his mouth but otherwise just sits there. I called the game/fish people and they say it's normal, owls do that and he may stay all day. I put out cones around him so he doesn't get run over.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

He looks pretty smart.

[Joe Pelonio]

:confused:He may look smart but he didn't show much smarts choosing his place to rest. If a car pulled into that space the right front tire would crush the
cute little guy.

[Jim Becker]

Looks like it may be a "Saw-whet" owl...appropriate name, eh?

http://www.owling.com/Saw-whet_nh.htm

http://a1410.g.akamai.net/f/1410/1633/7d/images.enature.com/birds/birds_s/BD0150_1s.jpg

The E-Nature pages are all messed up, but this picture from there matches if you look at the white above the eyes.

[Joe Pelonio]

That sure looks like him, and the description sounds right. I did some more checking on that name and they stay here all year, though in other areas they might migrate.

[Joe Pelonio]

He left. I went out to check and he was gone, probably sat there 4-5 hours.

[Ian Barley]

I guess that he is so used to blending in with his background that stillness has become one of his survival instincts. Shame it doesn't work that well against tarmac but I'm glad to hear that he has made his escape - I have a soft spot for owls.

[Jim Becker]

If you are lucky, he/she will continue to visit you...remember, they dine (!) on small rodents.... ;)

[Norman Hitt]

We have several Prarie Dog towns around here, and that Owl looks very similar to the ones that you always see sitting on one of the Prarie Dog mounds. I've never seen a Prarie Dog town that doesn't have one or two of the little owls sitting around there somewhere. They don't ever seem to bother the Prarie Dogs, and the Prarie Dogs don't seem to pay any attention to them either. I've always wondered what the connection was. These owls don't get very large.

[Bob Nieman]

That is definitely a saw-whet owl (I am a much more experienced birder than woodworker) and it is very likely migrating through. I found a dead one here in Carlsbad a couple Halloweens ago that must have struck the house (now residing in the UNM collections). They band them in large numbers in Duluth in the fall as they migrate south.
If you ever hear one calling (around March), you will understand how they got their name. It is fairly easy to imitate--I practically had one land on my head in Minnesota when I did.You hear them far more often than you see them.
Norm's owls are burrowing owls. They look a little different, taller, with longer legs and the head shape is different. You can find them in odd places as well, but in Washington they hang out in the eastern parts.

[Mike Leigh]

We used to have a Great Horned Owl, a huge white-spotted one, about 2 ft tall that used to rest on one of those metal pole street lamps near our local Fred Myers, he used to set there all day, and for several weeks people were always stopping and taking pictures of him.
And even a couple times you could watch him dive into the vacant field out there and come back with a mouse.
BTW, is backyard feeder nut here.:rolleyes:

[Jerry Olexa]

He was looking for an awl.. Forgive the laME HUMOR. Nice pic...

[Bud Zysk]

Not only will the owl help with any rodent problems you might have, they'll also scare off any other birds from the area. We hang plastic owls in our shops to keep birds out. Nothing worse than having a bird take a dump on you or what you're working on from the rafters. :eek:

[Joe Pelonio]

He has not been back since, but this morning on the way in I nearly ran into a low flying owl of a much larger nature, probably had a 3' wingspan.
It was dark and 4am so he was probably hunting.