Author Topic: Backyard critters  (Read 103745 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline GburgNatsFan

  • Posts: 22277
  • Let's drink a few for Mathguy.
Re: Backyard critters
« Reply #1875: June 06, 2021, 08:24:59 PM »
I've heard they're curious birds. I've been able to get a response to a vocal call, but none ever approached.  This is a great idea.

We have barred owls in the greater 'hood, and hear them a few times a week generally.  I'd probably hear them daily if I spent more time outside.  I got the notion last week to play a call over my small Bose bluetooth speaker, and see what reaction I got.  Initially, nothing, but it was mid-afternoon, I had not heard a call, and the cicadas were revved up.

Around 9 pm I heard one in the distance, so I played the call twice and stopped.  Sure enough, got a vigorous response, then silence.  Then, the call came from about 30 yards away.  I played one more, stopped.  The owl swept past me to alight about 15 feet from the speaker, and commenced to calling again.  So cool!  I told my wife about it, she thought I was being manipulative and bringing the owl in under false pretenses.   :?  All true, but so cool!   Amazed that in 2 iterations the owl had very precisely located the source of the call.  End of story......Not!

Perhaps a half hour later, the owl called, and first a second, then a 3rd one all responded, located around the original landing point 30 yards away.  They were really going at it, one of them sounding very aggressive.  My wife then turns to me, "if those owls keep me up tonight...."     :-[

Anyway, it was fun while it lasted.   Here's the call I used, the first one.