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Say hello to Hootie the great horned owl.
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alleyyooper
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Location: Michigan (Map)
Posts: 358
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| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:25 pm Post subject: Say hello to Hootie the great horned owl. |
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Our drive way is 400 + feet long. It runs along a old stand pine plantaion and a creek. There is high line (electric power) that runs along the edge of the trees. Yesterday we were going to go shop some and when we got near the end of the drive where it turns away from the trees there sat an owl on a hunk of log. I drove by it and Kare said where is the camera when you want it. I said I would drive back and she could get it. The whole time the owl sat there, posed for some pictures even. Then it decided things were just not to her likeing so tried to fly. She couldn't fly. As you will see her left wing is injured possiable from hitting the power line. Now I must say why I say she. There is no doubt she is a great horned owl but on the small side for an adult, females are smaller there fore a she, Of course I'll know for sure tomorrow.
We called the sister in law a member of the local Audubon group to see if she knew of some one who would rehab the owl. After half the day we found these people http://www.wildliferecovery.org/
who said they would take her if we could deliver her to a vet in Midland Michigan. I delivered her early this morning. Barb told us on the phone last night, we can call to get updates on her health and recovery, PLUS they will make every effort to release her back in our area since she must have a mate here.
I had put a dish of water in the cage with her right after I caught her, then a mouse I had caught about 10:30PM. This morning the mouse was gone and over half the water.
Got up early this morning and delivered Hootie to the Vet in Midland. Very nice people they seemed. Even though I didn't get to know Hootie that well it brought a tear to my eye to say good bye.
 Al
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reggaefan
Official Poet Laureate
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Location: Zone 8b Louisiana (Map)
Posts: 2520
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| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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Hooray for you Oujr vert school here at LSU does rehabilation you would be schocked at the number they get from out here. Many more however die. Thanks agaim for the pics.
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Richard
"We have met the enemy,and it is us." POGO
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zuzu's petals
Silly Old Bat
Joined: 19 Oct 2006
Location: Coastal N.Carolina ~zone 8~ (Map)
Posts: 2569
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| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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Beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing them and Hootie's story.
How very lucky she was to have been found by folks like you.
Hoping her recovery is swift and complete.
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 ~*~ zuzu ~*~
I put a lot of myself into my garden.
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dooley
Official Garden Turtle
Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Location: Arizona, U.S.A (Map)
Posts: 3249
PlantStew: 2 |
| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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Nice owl. I like owls. We don't have big ones here but a few smaller ones. DR saw one in the back this morning. Dooley
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pondlady
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Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Location: New Orleans, La
Posts: 1829
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| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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Al, did you drive from the UP all the way down to Midland? Wow. I am so glad you were able to help that wonderful owl.
I had a job once in Midland as a welfare caseworker, lived in Bay City, commuted to Midland. Had a cabin in Sanford. Do you know the area?
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Netty
Chaotic Gardener
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Location: Southern Ontario zone 5
Posts: 4250
PlantStew: 4072 |
| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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Wow Al, those are great shots of that owl. You can tell she's not feeling up to par, but thanks to you she will have the chance to recover.
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alleyyooper
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Location: Michigan (Map)
Posts: 358
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| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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I know the area around Stanford and Edenville better than Midland but can get around Midland with out a bunch of trouble. Know Wooden Shoe, Hope and Gladwin some too. Know more about clare, Marion, Evart, Reedcity, Tustin and leroy better as I call Evart or Cadillac My home town.
No I didn't drive from the cabin in the UP to Midland. I drove up from South East Michigan where I am stuck for a few more years.
Al
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alleyyooper
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Location: Michigan (Map)
Posts: 358
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| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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The capture.
I thought if I had Kare stand near by it would watch her as I worked around to her back. Didn't work like that at all as she kept watching me walking rather than kare just standing there.
One thing I have learned in life is, females will put up with a whole lot if you keep telling them enough they are beautiful. So I kept talking to her and telling her she was beautiful and I wasn't going to hurt her. She let me get close enough I could cover her with an old blanket which I wrapped around her feet once I got her picked up.
Al
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pondlady
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Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Location: New Orleans, La
Posts: 1829
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| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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Al, are you down in the Irish Hills? I did a bunch of pub crawling around Brooklyn and surrounds. We probably had a beer together in the early 60's way before there was a racetrack there.
Glad to hear your leg is getting back to OK.
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glendann
Official Garden Angel
Joined: 19 May 2006
Location: Texas (Map)
Posts: 6480
PlantStew: 182 |
| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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Al glad to see you back after your accident.It was great to see the owl and how you found care for her .Its also nice if rehab works she will be released back near you.
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Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
 Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Location: Scotland (Map)
Posts: 10825
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| Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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We need more people like you in the world Al. I'm glad you managed to capture the owl. Now she'll have a good chance of recovery I'm sure. Let's just hope that the wing isn't too badly damaged and that she can be set free again soon. It's good to know that she was eating and drinking - always a good sign. Do let us know how she's doing won't you?
I hope the stabbing pains in your leg abate soon. I think you're right it's probably the muscles getting back to their full strength.
Take care now.
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EJ
Allotmenteer Extraordinaire
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Location: Essex
Posts: 1317
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cajunbelle
Daylily Diva
Joined: 04 Jun 2006
Location: zone 8b Louisiana (Map)
Posts: 2969
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| Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:16 am Post subject: |
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Thank you Al and Kare for helping the owl. It's nice to know that there are other animal nuts out there. Glad to hear you are healing ok. I cut the bottom of my big toe last fall and had pain in it for about a year, off and on, from the nerves healing. Hopefully yours will go away, I haven't had any trouble the last several months with mine, although I know it wasn't as serious as yours.
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Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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Primsong
Flower of the Shire
Joined: 15 Apr 2006
Location: Oregon (Map)
Posts: 1771
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| Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:56 am Post subject: |
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Amazing tale - I'm so glad to hear that you were able to help her. I'm not sure I would have had the courage to try to pick her up that way.
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alleyyooper
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Location: Michigan (Map)
Posts: 358
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| Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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Nope no Irish hills beer drinking for me. I do go to Onstead once in a while to buy some bee keeping supplies from Groebs.
We are more to the East in the thumb.
Hootie I am sure will be fine. I really think they know when they can't excape and the gentel voice lets them know you intend no harm.
Once she is back home I am sure she and her kind will make the hair on the backs of our necks stand up twith their calls. My daughter reminded me yesterday that years ago we had one that roosted during the day on our TV antena.
Al
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