[CT Birds] Long story - sad ending

[Mntncougar at aol.com]

Took a ride through Mansfield and eventually, Chaplin, today,  seeing very 
little and no sign of the Saw Whet Owl I went looking for.   After leaving the 
spot the SW Owl had been seen, I drove about a mile up the  road and pulled 
over when I noticed a small frozen over pond near the side of  the road.  Didn't 
see much there either until something very large fell out  of a tall branched 
white pine on the shore of the pond.  It looked like a  huge bird, and when it 
landed on a lower branch there was tremendous flapping of  wings until 
finally a Red-tailed Hawk righted itself and flew away.  Since  I had never seen a 
bird just fall before I decided to walk to the pond and see  if I could spot 
the hawk.  When I was about 50 feet from the shoreline I  saw a large bird 
standing on the ground staring at me.  However, instead of  the hawk it was a Great 
Horned Owl with his big yellow eyes fixed on me.   After about 30 seconds the 
bird started hopping away, out onto the frozen marshy  pond, and I realized 
that although it looked in good shape it could not  fly.  Reconstructing, I 
realized that what I had  seen was an attack by the Red-tail on the owl, ending 
with the hawk flying away,  probably after seeing me, and the owl falling to 
the ground.  I ran back to  the car for my camera which took about 30 seconds, 
and when I returned the owl  was farther out in the marshy area, with the hawk 
now standing just a few  feet  away from it probably contemplating  going in 
for the kill.  Instead he saw me and flew off again, leaving with  his 
trademark cry.  I took a few pictures of the owl as it hobbled further  into the 
frozen marsh, (see below) but I had no idea what to  do.
Since I was near Pomfret I tried calling Andy R. but no luck,  so I headed 
for the CAS Pomfret office.  After telling the story I was told  a bird 
rehabilitator (Mary Beth Kaeser) had just been there but had left, and I  was put in 
touch with her by phone.  I met her and we went back to the  spot.  To my 
surprise, we spotted the bird near the far side of the marsh  as it hopped further 
away, probably after hearing us.  We circled around  the marsh and I went to 
the shore to try and keep it from going back out on the  ice.  I saw its wings 
flap once and directed Mary-Beth toward the spot  but  she never saw it.  All 
we found was 1  downy feather she identified as being from a Great Horned Owl. 
  She  suggested she might go back, but with the storm coming I doubt that 
will be  possible.  Probably a  sad ending for a big beautiful  bird.
_http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i292/mntncougar/P1010654.jpg_ 
(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i292/mntncougar/P1010654.jpg) 
_http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i292/mntncougar/P1010652.jpg_ 
(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i292/mntncougar/P1010652.jpg) 
_http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i292/mntncougar/P1010651.jpg_ 
(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i292/mntncougar/P1010651.jpg) 
 
Don Morgan
Coventry
 
 



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