Watch Out For Owls

ghfromaltonbay · 09-17-2009, 03:27 PM

Five of us were sitting at our neighbor's picnic table under a large oak around dusk 2-3 years ago. Several bats were swooping down over the cove at Sandy Point and were a little close to our table. Suddenly without a sound, we saw a swish of white as a large owl swooped down out of the tree and caught a bat not 5 feet from our neighbor's head. We couldn't believe how fast and how quiet the owl was. Really startled us.

Argie's Wife · 09-17-2009, 09:22 PM

I didn't know owls hunted bats, but it makes sense...

I encountered a GINORMOUS bat one night driving home. I was in the Gilmanton Iron Works (GIW) area and had one hit my windshield. I was driving my big ol' Dodge Intrepid that night and I swear the wingspan on that sucker was like 2' - I'm not kidding. It scared the poopers out of me! I didn't know we'd get bats that big up here! I'm sure it didn't survive the impact and I was really amazed that my windshield survived!

o2beinnh · 09-18-2009, 08:12 PM

Twice this summer I was coming home in the evening heading north on 109 and got swooped on by a big ol white owl... fortunately, I wasn't going fast.. maybe there were baby owls nearby...

Pineedles · 09-18-2009, 08:34 PM

I have researched bats indigenous of New England and I can't find a bat that has a wingspan of even close to 2 feet.

I don't doubt your encounter and wonder if it could be an bio-ecological migration taken place due to the "white nose disease". I'm not a scientist and unfortunately didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night.

Please remember folks that bats eat mosquitoes and although they are yucky, they help us prevent Eastern equine encephalitis virus, as well as many human diseases like Lyme disease.

Argie's Wife · 09-18-2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pineedles

I have researched bats indigenous of New England and I can't find a bat that has a wingspan of even close to 2 feet.

I don't doubt your encounter and wonder if it could be an bio-ecological migration taken place due to the "white nose disease". I'm not a scientist and unfortunately didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night.

Please remember folks that bats eat mosquitoes and although they are yucky, they help us prevent Eastern equine encephalitis virus, as well as many human diseases like Lyme disease.

LOL! I'm serious - this thing was h-u-g-e. I don't know much about bats and generally just avoid them but I really wish I'd taken a picture of my windshield afterwards because it was a big smear... (yah... ewwwww!) I was seriously grossed out by the event.

I've not seen one that big since then. I've had them in my office at work and many other places (thank God - never in my house!) but they've all been rather small - like big mice with wings.

jellybean · 09-24-2009, 07:44 PM

We hit a big barred owl (white one) about 7 years ago on Alton Mountain - it swooped right down in front of the car and whacked right into the front grill. Although it was immobile, we threw it into the back of the station wagon (not knowing how foolish it was to pick up the owl, but we were trying to think quickly). At home, we carried him into the bathroom and locked him in while we tried to figure out what to do - his talon moved and grabbed my husband's jacket, so there were signs of life. We called around and found the wildlife rehab center in Madison who would take him. Interestingly, neither the police nor the sheriff had a list of rehab people or centers - it took some calling around to find the right person.

He was slowly waking up and we put him into a cat carrier, and was wide awake by the time we dropped him off.

The wildlife lady called us the next day to tell us that there was a dead mouse in the bottom of the cat carrier. Clearly it had swooped into the headlights to chase a mouse, and then it was squeezed in its talons the entire time it was unconscious.

We never did learn if it eventually recovered from its injuries enough to be released. I've since attended an owl workshop at the Loon Center to learn their calls - very interesting!

chipj29 · 09-25-2009, 07:58 AM

Last year we had an owl (a very loud owl!) living out in the pine trees behind the house. He has been gone for almost all of this year, but I heard him last night for the first time in several months. I love listening to him, and hope to see him in action some day. As long as he gets the mice that keep building nests in my tractor and not my cats!

09-17-2009, 03:27 PM	#1
ghfromaltonbay Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Clifton, NJ, Alton Bay Posts: 850 Thanks: 267 Thanked 237 Times in 137 Posts	Bats and owls Five of us were sitting at our neighbor's picnic table under a large oak around dusk 2-3 years ago. Several bats were swooping down over the cove at Sandy Point and were a little close to our table. Suddenly without a sound, we saw a swish of white as a large owl swooped down out of the tree and caught a bat not 5 feet from our neighbor's head. We couldn't believe how fast and how quiet the owl was. Really startled us.

09-18-2009, 08:12 PM	#3
o2beinnh Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 4 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Route 109 south of Pier 19 close to the beach Twice this summer I was coming home in the evening heading north on 109 and got swooped on by a big ol white owl... fortunately, I wasn't going fast.. maybe there were baby owls nearby...

09-18-2009, 08:34 PM	#4
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,550 Thanks: 1,072 Thanked 672 Times in 369 Posts	AW'd big bat I have researched bats indigenous of New England and I can't find a bat that has a wingspan of even close to 2 feet. I don't doubt your encounter and wonder if it could be an bio-ecological migration taken place due to the "white nose disease". I'm not a scientist and unfortunately didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night. Please remember folks that bats eat mosquitoes and although they are yucky, they help us prevent Eastern equine encephalitis virus, as well as many human diseases like Lyme disease.

09-25-2009, 07:58 AM	#7
chipj29 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bow Posts: 1,874 Thanks: 521 Thanked 308 Times in 162 Posts	Last year we had an owl (a very loud owl!) living out in the pine trees behind the house. He has been gone for almost all of this year, but I heard him last night for the first time in several months. I love listening to him, and hope to see him in action some day. As long as he gets the mice that keep building nests in my tractor and not my cats! __________________ Getting ready for winter!

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09-17-2009, 09:22 PM	#2
Argie's Wife Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alton Posts: 1,908 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 533 Thanked 579 Times in 260 Posts	I didn't know owls hunted bats, but it makes sense... I encountered a GINORMOUS bat one night driving home. I was in the Gilmanton Iron Works (GIW) area and had one hit my windshield. I was driving my big ol' Dodge Intrepid that night and I swear the wingspan on that sucker was like 2' - I'm not kidding. It scared the poopers out of me! I didn't know we'd get bats that big up here! I'm sure it didn't survive the impact and I was really amazed that my windshield survived!

09-24-2009, 07:44 PM	#6
jellybean Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Alton Bay, NH Posts: 32 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	We hit a big barred owl (white one) about 7 years ago on Alton Mountain - it swooped right down in front of the car and whacked right into the front grill. Although it was immobile, we threw it into the back of the station wagon (not knowing how foolish it was to pick up the owl, but we were trying to think quickly). At home, we carried him into the bathroom and locked him in while we tried to figure out what to do - his talon moved and grabbed my husband's jacket, so there were signs of life. We called around and found the wildlife rehab center in Madison who would take him. Interestingly, neither the police nor the sheriff had a list of rehab people or centers - it took some calling around to find the right person. He was slowly waking up and we put him into a cat carrier, and was wide awake by the time we dropped him off. The wildlife lady called us the next day to tell us that there was a dead mouse in the bottom of the cat carrier. Clearly it had swooped into the headlights to chase a mouse, and then it was squeezed in its talons the entire time it was unconscious. We never did learn if it eventually recovered from its injuries enough to be released. I've since attended an owl workshop at the Loon Center to learn their calls - very interesting!