Ogami's Shadow Gallery!

[TupennyConan]

I see hawks in South Tampa a few times a year.

 

I've never seen an owl before until seeing these in the trees at dusk, starting about two years ago.

 

Seeing them in daylight is outside my life's experience.

 

They are like the spirits of the dead, haunting little backyard garden creatures of the leafy suburbs.

 

 

I was at a baseball camp in rural Missouri in the summer of 1986. My uncle who lived in Springfield at the time, came to take me to get some real food, which was greatly appreciated. As we drove down a fairly tight, hilly pass, something appeared at the edge of my peripheral vision.

 

Before I could process it, a great horned owl hit the windshield of my uncle's car. The body was between the size of a large chicken and a small turkey, but the wings must have been 3 feet long each. The great bird did at least one complete spin, possibly more, and again, before I could completely process it, took to flight again with two sweeping flaps of its wings.

 

That is the closest I have ever been to an owl. And though it was scary for all of us, it was amazing to see one that up close and personal, without it scooping up a baby in its talons or something.

 

[Ogami]

All this aviary talk is fascinating.

 

I had the privilege of seeing a hawk on the same road almost every day for almost 7 years.

[seanfingh]

 

Cool story, bro.

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

I had two budgies once.

 

They both died.

 

Prematurely.

[TupennyConan]

Tastes like chicken.

[TupennyConan]

Love that chicken.

[TupennyConan]

Will it be white or black?

 

 

Brazilian.

[seanfingh]

[RockMyAmadeus]

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

This place used to have philosophy.

 

And bugs.

 

Where are the bugs?

[Ogami]

The owls ate em.

 

And Park ate the philosophy.

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

Philosophy and bugs.

 

Sophistry and hugs.

 

Adams and his towels.

 

Train Park to eat the owls.

[seanfingh]

[Jeffro.]

All this aviary talk is fascinating.

 

I had the privilege of seeing a hawk on the same road almost every day for almost 7 years.

 

Was taking a walk on my lunch hour one time and I saw a hawk land, pick up a pine cone, fly up to and land on a branch in a nearby tree and then drop the pine cone.

 

At first, I'm like, "what the hell is he doing that for?" and then it hit me, he was using the pine cone as bait. Unfortunately, I couldn't stick around to see if the bait worked. I'd have LOVED to see the hawk swoop down and grab some small animal or bird.

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

He may well have been doing just that; breaking the pine nuts free to attract prey.

 

Some birds are scary smart, as evidenced by these crosswalk crows in Japan.

 

Shades of Hitchcock.

 

[Jeffro.]

He well may have been trying to break the pine nuts free.

 

Possibly, but I don't think so. He wasn't dropping it, picking it up and then dropping it again and again. I've seen seagulls do that to crack the shells of crabs. Plus, the ground he was dropping the pine cone on was grass and not from any great height.

 

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

He well may have been trying to break the pine nuts free.

 

Possibly, but I don't think so. He wasn't dropping it, picking it up and then dropping it again and again. I've seen seagulls do that to crack the shells of crabs. Plus, the ground he was dropping the pine cone on was grass and not from any great height.

 

So, what's your theory then?

 

Was he trying to shake things up on the ground beneath; get something to run or come out of a hole?

[Ogami]

Maybe he was training?

[Park]

What the hell am I supposed to eat now?

[seanfingh]

Binoculors: $55

 

Bird Watchers Guide: $9

 

Listening to bunch of fairly intelligent dudes opine as to why a bird was doing something and what was going on its head: Priceless.