Last night, we were grilling (yes even in winter, the grill is our friend) and we heard the distinct territory call of the Great Horned Owl. They have a really deep, resinous “Who, hoot, who, whoooooooo” that can be heard great distances.
I was so excited to hear such a primal nature sound in the middle of the suburbs. These owls mate in January, so this male was out looking for love. I’m going to try to find his roost site this afternoon.
Though owls are nocturnal (come out mainly at night), I find it easiest to spot them in the day time. I look for wash (bird poop) at the base and on the branches of evergreen trees. I also look for their pellets. If I find pellets, the owl is often sitting up in the tree close to the trunk.
Pellets are the undigested remains of the birds meal. A tightly packed ball of fur, bones, feathers and feet. If you pull it apart, you can determine what the owl ate, and therefore know what other animals share your world.
