FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Re: Unknown Owl Hooting.

["Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Shane Adams,

Great Horned Owls have nest with eggs right now.  Some may have had eggs for a 
month.  Don't
rule out the possibility that the egg shells you saw came from a nest where the 
young have
hatched.  In most cases,  the egg shells are not going to be carried away from 
the nest.  They
may be on the ground right below the nest.  Eggs would have been laid by the 
first week of
January to have had 30 days to hatch.  Eggs laid that early seem unlikely.  The 
earliest date I know
of were eggs laid around here was about Jan. 20 along VA Rt. 75 near the Tenn. 
line some 40 years
ago in Washington Co., VA.  Keep all your options open.  Watch the neighborhood 
crows.  When you
hear them fussing go immediately to that tree and search for a nest.  It will 
be an old hawk's nest,
crow's nest or even a squirrel's nest, if in a tree.  It can be in a cave 
opening or in a pot hole in
the face of a cliff, etc.  It can be in a hollow in a big tree but not very 
likely.   They do not build their 
own nest.  If you see brown feathers blowing on the edge of a nest or floating 
down to the ground 
from a nest during a breeze,  you probably have a Great Horned Owl's nest.  
Keep you mind open 
to all possibility.  Good luck and keep us posted.

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Shane 
  To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 12:14 AM
  Subject: [Bristol-Birds] Unknown Owl Hooting.


  Birders: ( Unknown Owl Hooting )


  This late evening on Feb.5,2007 in East Hamblen County NorthEast of 
Morristown Shane and Dennis Adams heard an unknown owl hooting it sound like a 
Great Horned or Barred Owl in our front yard about 10:30 p.m. the owl flew 
across the street and I could not see or ID the owl and I have found a broken 
egg shells under the tree and laying on the driveway where the owl was can the 
owls eat egg shells and why for protein ?


  Shane Adams
  East Hamblen County / Morristown, TN.