[TN-Bird] Screech owl gets mouse

From: Dthomp2669@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2004 08:36:53 EST
Outside my home in Charlotte Park, a few blocks east of the old Cleece's 
Ferry landing on the Cumberland River in West Nashville/

After hearing screech owls "talking" this morning, I finally dragged my lazy 
self out of bed to take the dogs out around 5:05 AM.  Just as I got to the 
French doors to the deck, I caught of quick glimpse of "something" coming down 
out of the air to the bird feeding area on my deck.  In the bit of lightfall 
from all the street lights and other outdoor security lights in my 
neighborhood, 
I recognized the silhouette of one of the screeches.  It came down, grabbed a 
mouse that was feeding on the bird seed and flew to a limb above the deck with 
its prey.  Rather than disturb its meal, I got the dogs' collars & leashes, a 
nearby jacket, and took the dogs outside at the front of the house.  When I 
got back inside about five minutes later, the screech had moved from the lower 
branch, but it was still a little too dark to ferret it out from among all 
those stark and eerie branches of dormant trees of winter time.  One 
interesting 
note is that "Little Screech" does not generate enough movement force to make 
the motion light on the deck come on.  I did find out that a visit from a 
great horned landing there to get prey will engage the motion light.  
Apparently, 
this is what happened one night recently probably causing the GH to drop its 
prey when "blinded" by the sudden onslaught of bright light.  That probably 
accounts for the dead mouse at the feeder that morning.  I witnessed the same 
activity a couple of nights ago where the light came on, but the owl DID keep 
its 
mouse and flew away into the dark. (I've been so busy that I forgot to post 
that--I was preparing food to entertain a pile of people that night and am just 
now recovering from all the company). Possums creep slowly along the deck 
rail when they come to feed on peanut butter, apple & orange at night, so they 
do 
not ignite the motion light.  Raccoons & neighborhood cats are a little more 
raucous and usually DO turn on the motion lights.  The skunks that sometimes 
hulk around below do not come within the immediate range of the motion light, 
but the dogs and I can always tell when they are around because they usually 
ignite our nostrils just a little bit although we have never experienced "full 
engagement" of THAT battle here! 

I am really enjoying an "owl-ly" winter now that those two species have 
discovered the "mouse factory" that inhabits the area between the deck floor 
and 
the aluminum roofing liner beneath it which forms my big double carport.  The 
mice even come out by day, so I often have birds, squirrels and mice feeding in 
harmony out there which is probably why I have so many visits from the hawks 
and owls.  

Two adult Cooper's hawks flew over yesterday and paused long enough to 
"tangle talons" in midair for a drop of about 15 feet until they disengaged and 
flew 
off with one in hot pursuit of the other.  Two males/territorial spat, or a 
male & female "courting"?  Anyone have that answer?

Happy birding,

Dee Thompson
Nashville, TN

=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------- 
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
          web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    ========================================================
[TN-Bird] Screech owl gets mouse

Other related posts:
