SIMBA MEETS A NEW FORREST CREATURE
Recently one early morning, just after sunrise, I heard Simba barking his "I have an intruder pinned" bark. So, I made my way out to see what it was...the last time it was a raccoon.
Just about 100 feet(33.3 meters) away from our cabin he had discovered avery precarious new critter to him.
*Amazingly cute little guy isn't it?😍😍
SIMBA BREAKFAST?!?!
It was a baby Barred Owl! And while I can't say for sure, I would say it's a safe bet if left alone with it for much longer, Simba would have killed and eaten it. That, in this particular case, was not a desirable outcome. There are a few reasons for this...
First, owls live in nests filled with all kinds of grossness, including their own fecal matter. This in turn ends up on their razor sharp talons.(Yes, even the baby's talons can easily pierce flesh.) And that is a bad deal, for if Simba were to be punctured it could lead to severe infections. Also, owls eat mice, moles, snakes and other such figures. They're a natural pest control. Lastly but not leastly, Simba had no need to eat this beautiful bird for he has this....
*Over half a deer left from the last killed one.
MAKING OUR NEW GUEST COMFORTABLE
An initial trip to the wildlife rescue sanctuary ended in us being sent back home with the bird. So I needed to get him set up for his best chance at survival. So, first things first....
*Evan feeding him some fresh killed squirrel.
Luckily, barred owls are not picky eaters, so getting food for him was relatively easy. Just a quick trip into the forest with my little .22, and I was able to return with a squirrel to chew on.
HOW ABOUT A HOME/NEST?
You all know I had to make him a nice comfy place to live. So after a little bit of research I was able to figure out what the suggested sizes for an owl nest house.
*It starts with some left over plywood and some measurements.
I'm glad to say we had everything we needed to build our little friend his home, without having to buy a single piece of material. We had leftover plywood, 2x4s, and screws from previous construction jobs.
*It starts with a couple of walls built at a 90 degree angle to each other.
*The floor was added, after the walls were all attached to each other.
*Then it was time to add a roof to keep the rain out. It extends beyond the front to allow him to have a porch to stay dry whenever he is perched on his entrance hole.
*A 7 inch by 7-in hole with rounded corners was drawn out with marker.
*Then using a circular saw and a sawzall, the hole is cut out.
*I was happen to see, upon completion, the nest house seemed to be a huge success!!!😍😍🦉🦉🦉
*As a test run, I made sure that the house could be securely attached to the wall inside the cabin, so I would know how to attach it to the tree outside.
LEARNING TO FLY, AND SAYING GOODBYE
Just a few days after the box was moved outside to the tree, our Barred owl friend had learned to fly it could be seen high in our trees, perching.
I wasn't able to get any pictures of him during this time, as every time I grabbed my phone to do so, I couldn't find him when I got back. However, it was easy to tell he was doing well and excited to be back in his natural environment.
It was amazing to have such a great visitor, even though it was just for a few short days. And I feel that I learned a lot from my little buddy during his brief visit.
RANDOM OWL PICS ANYBODY?
*Owly's first, and probably last ever trip in a truck, as we headed to the wildlife sanctuary when we first found him.
*Chillin on top of his nest.
*Eating a fresh frog chunk.🐸🐸
*Talons that are literally razor sharp daggers...that are laced with biological weapons.😬😬😁🤯