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ramonmercado

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Kenya's owl man defies superstition

By Wanyama wa Chebusiri
BBC, Nyeri, Central Kenya

"Owls are sensitive to colour. I have a red jacket which I always wear."

Paul Murithi

The screech of an owl is a bad omen in Kenya, taken as a sign that death will strike soon. However, in Kiawara village near Mount Kenya, Paul Murithi, 30, has defied his community's cultural and traditional norms to rear owls as a tourist attraction.

For the past five years, Mr Murithi has been feeding and protecting the owls in their natural habitation in a forest near his home.

While others make a living out of rearing chickens or ducks, the owls have become his main source of income.

"This was a childhood interest thing I started when I was nine or 10 years old," he says.

"I saw these birds in the bushes and was interested to know more about them."

He has no time for the superstition about owls being omens of death.

"I often used to hear these owls hoot, and I never had a relative die or anything like this."

Mr Murithi believes the owls have come to recognise him as the person who nurtures them.

"I try to protect their territory when they are nesting, and supply them food," he says.

"Owls are sensitive to colour. I have a red jacket which I always wear."

Tourists

In this owl sanctuary you may find 26 birds, some perched on tree branches and some living in caves across the forest.

Mr Murithi has erected roadside signs to direct his clients, especially foreign tourists who pay more than $1 to view the elusive birds with his guidance.


Omen of death - or tourist attraction?
Locals are not charged, so as to encourage them to appreciate the immense value of the birds.

"I did not believe at first that it was possible that someone was rearing such birds," said Patrick Njagi, a Kenyan visitor.

"I had to come and satisfy my curiosity that someone is rearing them and not fearing death. Now I have seen it is possible."

But among the residents of Kiawara village, people are sharply divided about the owl sanctuary.

Owls are nocturnal birds that feed, mate and migrate at night.

During mating, they make the loudest hoot that is considered a bad omen by many communities.

"If someone dies, the previous night those creatures cry a lot - so I just don't like it," said one woman in the village, who urged Mr Muthithi to stop tending the owls.

But another neighbour was more positive: "We think it will bring development to the area, as a tourist attraction," he said - a view which is echoed by the local authorities.

"There is nothing wrong with this young man as long as he has not broken any rule in keeping the owls," says Ben Kariuki, the area's chief.

"We urge other villagers not to associate this young man with anything sinister, as he is merely earning his bread."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5275678.stm
 
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That's what the world needs...more Owlmen :D
 
There was a time (around '04 or '05) when the place we lived experienced a sudden influx of great horned owls - massive, scary looking things - they'd sit atop the buildings at night and just stare in that unnerving way. The strangest incident though, I didn't see with my own eyes - a friend saw it while driving by early one morning. It was just after daybreak and a mist was still rising from the ground when he saw at least 5 great horned owls, in a circle on the grass. Perhaps they were fighting, he wasn't sure - but they all had spread out their wings and were making threatening hopping movements from side to side. He said it was one of the freakiest things he'd ever seen - these huge hopping figures in the mist.

On one hand, I'm sorry I didn't see it, but on the other, I'm kind of glad I didn't!
 
I kind of sort of know Owl Magic, FOAF style. I wasn't sure about the whole idea but having met them and the owls I'm a convert!

Huge public education efforts.

They passed their SSPCA inspection today with flying (ahem :oops:) colours.

Website's a bit 2005 mind you!
 
I kind of sort of know Owl Magic, FOAF style. I wasn't sure about the whole idea but having met them and the owls I'm a convert!

Huge public education efforts.

They passed their SSPCA inspection today with flying (ahem :oops:) colours.

Website's a bit 2005 mind you!
Owls are magic ..

 
He is def a duck!
 
There were reports of "luminous owls" in the East Anglia area during the first 2 decades of the 20th century. These were generally associated with earth lights / will o' the wisp sightings. Here's a brief description:

LuminousOwls-Dash.jpg

Here's the source:

Borderlands: The Ultimate Exploration of the Surrounding Unknown
Mike Dash
Overlook Books, 1999
Page 240

https://books.google.com/books?id=g...AQ6AEwAnoECDEQAQ#v=onepage&q=luminous&f=false

Dash cites this reference on the subject:

LuminousOwls-ClarkeCite.jpg
 
There were reports of "luminous owls" in the East Anglia area during the first 2 decades of the 20th century. These were generally associated with earth lights / will o' the wisp sightings. Here's a brief description:
Wonderful, what great story! :clap: I have always wanted to see a will-o'-the-wisp but a luminous owl would do just as well.
 
Owl Is Well

A firefighter in northern Germany rescued a trapped owl from a 40m-deep (131ft) well at a ruined castle, after descending on ropes.

A local had heard the distressed eagle owl hooting from the well on Saturday and alerted the police.

The Bad Segeberg fire service pumped oxygen into the shaft and set up an abseiling rig, after failing to lure the owl into a sack with bait.

The young bird is now safely in the hands of a local bat sanctuary.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53554755
 
Even young eagle owls are quite large birds:

rescued owl


The report says there was very little air in the well, which makes me wonder what was there instead? Carbon dioxide, Radon?
 
The report says there was very little air in the well, which makes me wonder what was there instead? Carbon dioxide, Radon?
I think they meant oxygen. I loved the first photo of the woman cuddling the owl.
 
I think they meant oxygen. I loved the first photo of the woman cuddling the owl.

So more carbon dioxide than normal then? - what's edged out the oxygen? Is it that in a relatively undisturbed deep confined space, carbon dioxide tends to sink to the bottom, being heavier than air? Why would there be a low oxygen level in a space connected to the rest of the atmosphere?
 
So more carbon dioxide than normal then? - what's edged out the oxygen? Is it that in a relatively undisturbed deep confined space, carbon dioxide tends to sink to the bottom, being heavier than air? Why would there be a low oxygen level in a space connected to the rest of the atmosphere?
Lots of decaying matter in the well, giving off methane and CO2.
 
So more carbon dioxide than normal then? - what's edged out the oxygen? Is it that in a relatively undisturbed deep confined space, carbon dioxide tends to sink to the bottom, being heavier than air? Why would there be a low oxygen level in a space connected to the rest of the atmosphere?
Yes I reckon Mytho has it right. Lots of stuff giving out other gases. Nothing replenishing the oxygen.

I'm not so sure she's cuddling him. She has a death grip on the talons, he looks really pissed off, his beak is open, and she's trying to check his wing I suppose for injury. And notice the gloves.
Spoilsport. :p I still like the photo though. :)
 
hunck said:
So more carbon dioxide than normal then? - what's edged out the oxygen? Is it that in a relatively undisturbed deep confined space, carbon dioxide tends to sink to the bottom, being heavier than air? Why would there be a low oxygen level in a space connected to the rest of the atmosphere?
Yes I reckon Mytho has it right. Lots of stuff giving out other gases. Nothing replenishing the oxygen.

Carbon dioxide was called choke-damp when it was encountered in deep mines because of its propensity to displace oxygen bearing air. CO2 is apparently so dense that I learned in Chemistry at school that you can actually float a soap bubble on a container of it; leaving the bubble seemingly suspended in mid-air.

If conditions at the mouth of the well were still then the CO2 exhalations of the rescuers would descend down the well too and further reduce the amount of oxygen at the bottom.

That was what contributed to the death of Neil Moss in Peak Cavern in Derbyshire in 1959. The rescuers were gathered around the entrance to the shaft he was trapped in, and in the windless conditions underground their exhalations sank into the shaft and he asphyxiated on them (as well as his own).
 
Lets sing Owl Lang Syne for Barry.

A beloved owl who became a well-known resident in New York's Central Park has died.

Barry the barred owl was flying low in search of a meal when it collided with one of the park's maintenance trucks on Friday morning, park authorities said. The owl's death has prompted bird lovers across the world to share their photos and memories of Barry. A Twitter page dedicated to birds in the park said they would miss Barry's "wondrous and beautiful presence".

The owl had become a popular sight for visitors to Central Park, especially last year when the pandemic hit, and many bird watchers would visit to try and photograph the park's star resident.

According to Central Park Conservancy, the incident happened at 02:30 local time, when the owl "made contact" with the pick-up truck. "It's with a heavy heart we share that a barred owl, a beloved Central Park resident, passed away early this morning," it said on Twitter.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58127413
 
Was driving home from a work event last night, taking a rural route through the hills, when i encountered an owlet standing on the verge. It didn't move as i drove very slowly around it. I parked and walked back to try to talk it out of harm's way. It paid no heed, so I got physical, gently of course, which prompted the hissing, snapping and flapping. Then to my confusion and distress it fell over and lay inert. I picked it up and carried it to safety away from the road, whereupon it hopped to its feet and started squawking at me. it was a middling size and appeared fully-fledged, so I surmised it had bumped into a vehicle and was concussed or dazed, as it showed no inclination to fly. Having done my duty, I went on my way.

I'd heard about their tendency to play dead when stressed, but it is a very weird experience to witness it up close and personal. I hope it has revived and found its way home and is resting up with a nice cup of tea.
 
An unusually aggressive owl has prompted warnings to be posted at a Seattle area park.
Officials suggest wearing helmet after aggressive owl reported at SeaTac park

The city of SeaTac is warning people about a “very aggressive owl” at a park and offered some unique ways for people to protect themselves from the bird while in the area. ...

A sign posted at the park and tweeted by the city said parkgoers should use caution or avoid the area until the owl moves on.

The sign also said, “If you must walk past a nest, wave your arms slowly overhead to keep the birds at a distance. Other protective actions include wearing a hat or helmet, or carrying an umbrella.” ...

The angry bird is likely a barred or great horned owl, the two most common types of owls in the area.

Owls may become aggressive several times a year, particularly in the spring and fall. ...

Most aggressive owl incidents happen during the late night or early morning hours.

Often, the owls will hoot repeatedly before attacking to warn people to stay out of their territory. ...
FULL STORY: https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/of...orted-seatac-park/PSMNWQNGYJFETIOUQ5PJETAA7E/
 
A long eared owl has been rescued by a fishing boat out of Peterhead.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-63425826

A long-eared owl shocked crew on board a fishing boat over 100 miles off the north coast of Scotland.
The bird was rescued by a crew member who spotted it being attacked by seagulls.
It suffered minor injuries but was cared for by the team on board Peterhead-registered Benarkle II for the rest of their trip.
It is believed the owl had been blown off its normal course before landing on the boat.
The Benarkle II crew said the poorly creature perked up a great deal after being "beefed up" with some chopped steak.

The owl has been handed in to Huntly Falconry centre to continue its recovery and is doing well. Lots of adorable photos at the link.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-63425826
 
An unusually aggressive owl has prompted warnings to be posted at a Seattle area park.

FULL STORY: https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/of...orted-seatac-park/PSMNWQNGYJFETIOUQ5PJETAA7E/

Stories like this bring to mind the way the 'owl theory' defence used in the criminal case which was the subject of the Netflix documentary, The Staircase, was treated by some observers - as if the whole idea of being attacked by an owl was somehow utterly ludicrous. It's not at all - and I believe barred owls are particularly known to be aggressive.

As I've written on another thread:

...some larger owl species can be quite aggressive in self defence. You certainly have to be a sensible around tawny owls when they're nesting, and it's one reason it's not recommended to put owl boxes too close to human habitation. Famous ornithologist and bird photographer, the late Eric Hosking, lost an eye to a tawny owl. (It's one of the reasons I was not as immediately circumspect as many people seem to be in regard to the 'owl theory' defence used in the Netflix documentary, The Staircase - and those barred owls are considerably more hefty than tawny owls, and known to be aggressive.)

I once got an emergency call off my mum and dad to go round and release a tawny owl that had become trapped and panicky in their garage. Cornered like that many animals can become aggressive - I gathered it up after throwing a tarp over it, but I was layered up in canvas work gear, and wearing goggles, welding gloves and my climbing pot before I went anywhere near it. Poor bugger must have thought it was being abducted by an alien.

This is who actually owns my little garden (not a very good image, taken with my old phone - which had a rubbish camera - but she lets me get right up close):

20200414_162005a.jpg


She (I think it's a 'she' - bigger than the male, although fluffed up against the wind in that photo) is perched just over head height there. I think it keeps a regular watch on my neighbours log pile for juicy rodents.
 
Living once in the mountains of central New York there was a path between buildings that we only walked with three people after dark - one person plus two making the trip and the two then coming back to deter the large owl that nested close to the path and was exceedingly territorial and followed us from tree to tree until we passed their territory. edit-- actually we were glad when we realized it was an owl, the initial thought was that all that rustling was a cougar.
 
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They are not. They're much

much

much

much

more than nocturnal avian predators. They're easily trained and dexterous.
2019-08-18 19.45.55.jpg
 
They are not. They're much

much

much

much

more than nocturnal avian predators. They're easily trained and dexterous.
View attachment 60309
I recall a chance encounter when I spent a fortnight motorcycling-camping travelling right around the whole coast of Scotland, with an incredibly large Owl as I entered along the track/roadway past the old row of fisherman's cottages which leads the way down towards Cove Bay near Aberdeen.
The very unusual owl I'd spotted was sitting right on top of a rock on a part of the rocky shoreline. The Owl was about two feet-plus tall, and it had a really dull rusty red colour. It had spotted me but didn't lift off straight away as it sat there and staired straight at me, then it lifted up and flew away along the coastline. Never found out what type of Owl it actually was, but it certainly looked like a very long-distance traveller, I thought maybe it was either from somewhere like Russia or maybe Norway, but definitely a type of Sea Faring Owl - but very
BIG!
 
Love it. Totally relate. I reckon it's a sentient species of an alt dimension. An alien, if you will.

Who's first.
 
I recall a chance encounter when I spent a fortnight motorcycling-camping travelling right around the whole coast of Scotland, with an incredibly large Owl as I entered along the track/roadway past the old row of fisherman's cottages which leads the way down towards Cove Bay near Aberdeen.
The very unusual owl I'd spotted was sitting right on top of a rock on a part of the rocky shoreline. The Owl was about two feet-plus tall, and it had a really dull rusty red colour. It had spotted me but didn't lift off straight away as it sat there and staired straight at me, then it lifted up and flew away along the coastline. Never found out what type of Owl it actually was, but it certainly looked like a very long-distance traveller, I thought maybe it was either from somewhere like Russia or maybe Norway, but definitely a type of Sea Faring Owl - but very
BIG!
Probably an Eagle Owl. They are not native to the Uk but do occasionally escape from falconers.
 
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