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where are my birds?
Dec 1, 2017 18:35:50   #
out of the woods Loc: to hell and gone New York State
 
I have been feeding the birds for years, not to mention, chipmunks, squirrels ect... often 5lbs a week. The feeder is on my deck, made a mess, but I enjoyed the constant activity and diversity of critters. Suddenly this summer, it stopped. Must mention the owl. A few months ago, our old cat Naomi vanished . We had heard an owl hooting on a few occasions and suspect that she fell victim. It has been many months now, even my usual migraters failed to stop by. I fear I may have created quite the smorgasbord for the owl and somehow the
birds sense his presence. Anyone else experience similiar?

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Dec 1, 2017 19:37:51   #
JimMe
 
out of the woods wrote:
I have been feeding the birds for years, not to mention, chipmunks, squirrels ect... often 5lbs a week. The feeder is on my deck, made a mess, but I enjoyed the constant activity and diversity of critters. Suddenly this summer, it stopped. Must mention the owl. A few months ago, our old cat Naomi vanished . We had heard an owl hooting on a few occasions and suspect that she fell victim. It has been many months now, even my usual migraters failed to stop by. I fear I may have created quite the smorgasbord for the owl and somehow the
birds sense his presence. Anyone else experience similiar?
I have been feeding the birds for years, not to me... (show quote)



Call the ASPCOwl and have it humanely removed... If the birds and other forest creatures return, you'll know it was the owl, otherwise you can figure your cat was the one bussing the creatures in for its own entertainment...

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Dec 1, 2017 19:44:58   #
Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone
 
Unless you have a Great Horned Owl, then the problem may lie elsewhere. Perhaps a hawk, they live in varied habitat; the Red-tailed, red-shouldered, and Cooper’s hawks are the most often the reason for missing small animals. They hunt the skies as well and this will scare off small birds as well as squirrels. I take it that you are not finding bodies, that means the predator carried them away. An owl will find a close high spot, unless they are brooding, and consume their meals casting off most of the feathers, fur, and heads. Your missing cat.... I doubt if it was a bird of any sort, most likely a fox, raccoon, or a bob cat. Owls do not mess with cats for the most part.


out of the woods wrote:
I have been feeding the birds for years, not to mention, chipmunks, squirrels ect... often 5lbs a week. The feeder is on my deck, made a mess, but I enjoyed the constant activity and diversity of critters. Suddenly this summer, it stopped. Must mention the owl. A few months ago, our old cat Naomi vanished . We had heard an owl hooting on a few occasions and suspect that she fell victim. It has been many months now, even my usual migraters failed to stop by. I fear I may have created quite the smorgasbord for the owl and somehow the
birds sense his presence. Anyone else experience similiar?
I have been feeding the birds for years, not to me... (show quote)

Reply
 
 
Dec 1, 2017 20:26:00   #
out of the woods Loc: to hell and gone New York State
 
Pennylynn wrote:
Unless you have a Great Horned Owl, then the problem may lie elsewhere. Perhaps a hawk, they live in varied habitat; the Red-tailed, red-shouldered, and Cooper’s hawks are the most often the reason for missing small animals. They hunt the skies as well and this will scare off small birds as well as squirrels. I take it that you are not finding bodies, that means the predator carried them away. An owl will find a close high spot, unless they are brooding, and consume their meals casting off most of the feathers, fur, and heads. Your missing cat.... I doubt if it was a bird of any sort, most likely a fox, raccoon, or a bob cat. Owls do not mess with cats for the most part.
Unless you have a Great Horned Owl, then the prob... (show quote)


Well, we did have a hawk make off with half of a rather large rabbit a few years ago. Neighbors have given eyewitness reports of attempted attacks on cats by owls, some leaving wounds on the sides of the cat from the talons. The snowy owls up here are pretty big.
You are correct, there are many other predators that may have gotten the cat. Still, they have always been present, so why suddenly did my flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, my doves, ect all vanish, I'm baffled, and the seed grows soggy.

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Dec 1, 2017 20:34:35   #
out of the woods Loc: to hell and gone New York State
 
JimMe wrote:
Call the ASPCOwl and have it humanely removed... If the birds and other forest creatures return, you'll know it was the owl, otherwise you can figure your cat was the one bussing the creatures in for its own entertainment...


It wasn't the cat, she was getting old and slow, but still liked to watch from the window. If its the owl, then far be it from me to try and relocate the creature, the woods are hers, and the critters her sustenance. I'll just stop putting food out as bait. Just sad as I enjoyed the show.

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Dec 1, 2017 21:39:57   #
Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone
 
Could be a snowy owl, they are day hunters and will take mammals as large as small geese, but they prefer lemmings for some odd reason. A family of snowy owls can take up to 1600 lemmings a year. They also nest in open fields or on beaches, places that are similar to the tundra.... Another peculiarity of the snowy, the males are smaller than the female.... Horned owls are night hunters and make very large nests.... They are very large birds, but their diet is mainly those things that are out during the nighttime hours or at day break. Small cats would be on their dinner menu. People at times misidentify or confuse the two, as you can see from the attachments, they look similar.

out of the woods wrote:
Well, we did have a hawk make off with half of a rather large rabbit a few years ago. Neighbors have given eyewitness reports of attempted attacks on cats by owls, some leaving wounds on the sides of the cat from the talons. The snowy owls up here are pretty big. You are correct, there are many other predators that may have gotten the cat. Still, they have always been present, so why suddenly did my flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, my doves, ect all vanish, I'm baffled, and the seed grows soggy.
Well, we did have a hawk make off with half of a r... (show quote)

Snowy
Snowy...

Horned
Horned...

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Dec 1, 2017 23:36:26   #
JimMe
 
Pennylynn wrote:
Could be a snowy owl, they are day hunters and will take mammals as large as small geese, but they prefer lemmings for some odd reason. A family of snowy owls can take up to 1600 lemmings a year. They also nest in open fields or on beaches, places that are similar to the tundra.... Another peculiarity of the snowy, the males are smaller than the female.... Horned owls are night hunters and make very large nests.... They are very large birds, but their diet is mainly those things that are out during the nighttime hours or at day break. Small cats would be on their dinner menu. People at times misidentify or confuse the two, as you can see from the attachments, they look similar.
Could be a snowy owl, they are day hunters and wil... (show quote)



Pennylynn... Snowy Owls probably "prefer lemmings" because they have a hankering for "lemming meringue pie"... I just couldn't resist myself...

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Dec 2, 2017 00:25:10   #
Boo_Boo Loc: Jellystone
 
Now you made me laugh out loud!

JimMe wrote:
Pennylynn... Snowy Owls probably "prefer lemmings" because they have a hankering for "lemming meringue pie"... I just couldn't resist myself...



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Dec 2, 2017 08:55:14   #
Highlander66 Loc: Illinois
 
JimMe wrote:
Pennylynn... Snowy Owls probably "prefer lemmings" because they have a hankering for "lemming meringue pie"... I just couldn't resist myself...


Heeheehee. I’m using that one

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Dec 2, 2017 09:46:17   #
out of the woods Loc: to hell and gone New York State
 
Ok, I bear my soul with my sadness of my missing birds, and you guys are making pie jokes. Whats that one about blackbirds in a pie or bye, bye birdie, pigeon pie, she's gone to the birds, she's batty. Fine makes no sense, but either does yours. Looney, squirrelly....

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Dec 2, 2017 10:50:27   #
padremike Loc: Phenix City, Al
 
out of the woods wrote:
I have been feeding the birds for years, not to mention, chipmunks, squirrels ect... often 5lbs a week. The feeder is on my deck, made a mess, but I enjoyed the constant activity and diversity of critters. Suddenly this summer, it stopped. Must mention the owl. A few months ago, our old cat Naomi vanished . We had heard an owl hooting on a few occasions and suspect that she fell victim. It has been many months now, even my usual migraters failed to stop by. I fear I may have created quite the smorgasbord for the owl and somehow the
birds sense his presence. Anyone else experience similiar?
I have been feeding the birds for years, not to me... (show quote)


I put out corn for birds and rabbits, scattered it on the ground in my front yard. I, too, would sit on my deck and enjoy the wildlife. I "had" six wild rabbits that became so used to me sitting on my deck that they came right up to me eating the corn. They were funny to watch; the antics they went through playing with one another. One night I heard an owl hooting in the woods. With the passage of time the rabbits are gone and the owl hoots no more. Evidently the owl is looking for more corn fed game in another yard. First, find the jerk sitting on a deck, observe if there is corn on the ground and then wait for the buffet.

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Dec 2, 2017 11:02:28   #
out of the woods Loc: to hell and gone New York State
 
padremike wrote:
I put out corn for birds and rabbits, scattered it on the ground in my front yard. I, too, would sit on my deck and enjoy the wildlife. I "had" six wild rabbits that became so used to me sitting on my deck that they came right up to me eating the corn. They were funny to watch; the antics they went through playing with one another. One night I heard an owl hooting in the woods. With the passage of time the rabbits are gone and the owl hoots no more. Evidently the owl is looking for more corn fed game in another yard. First, find the jerk sitting on a deck, observe if there is corn on the ground and then wait for the buffet.
I put out corn for birds and rabbits, scattered it... (show quote)


Yeah, that's probably what I did. We had so many chipmunks, they would run around my feet when working outside. All day long they were filling their cheeks for the stockpile they kept in multiple nests. Now I only see the occasional brave soul. Life and death in the Adirondacks. Red and grey squirrels have vanished too, hungry bugger.

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