Scary barn owl

[TomK]

I've mentioned in one or two posts before how the whale noises off Kaloli point used to scare the sh*t out of me until I realized what they were. On a couple of occasions I also heard the most ungodly sound from the same direction which really made me think some rich guy was building a Jurassic Park in secret out on Shipman land. Then the scary noises started moving around and were also coming from overhead - had the Jurassic Park CEO got it all wrong just like in the movie?

Anyway, I hadn't heard the noises again until a couple of days ago, and tonight they're back again. The coquis are quiet, there's little surf so no waves crashing against the cliffs, and then a screech out of the bowels of hell which had me jump out of my chair. And then again from the ocean side but more worryingly getting closer. Then an almighty screech overhead which I assume was the announcement that the lord of scary noises was about to take up residence in a neighbor's tree and scream for devil backup. My cats thought it was the end of the world or perhaps were just confused as they normally are. But they didn't like it and were probably spooked by my reaction!

For those that have not heard a barn owl before, especially on a dark and quiet night and out in the middle of nowhere, there's a great capture of the sound they make here:

http://www.almanac.com/content/bird-sounds-barn-owl

(close the popup window and then click on the play button near the top).

And it was such a peaceful evening...

Tom
http://apacificview.blogspot.com/

[PaulW]

Spooky! I assume you already knew that sound? Huh, I didn't know there were barn owls in Hawaii.

[Rob Tucker]

The native and only Hawaiian owl is the Pueo, a short eared brown owl. Pueo is known as The Protector and is highly regarded.

From: http://www.coffeetimes.com/mar98.htm

"Pueo is sacred..... the guardian owl belongs to heaven and earth". Throughout Hawaii, streets, areas, and valleys bear the owl's name, with many such places having an intriguing legend attached to them. Pueo's legacy reaches far beyond brown feathers into the realm of the spirit world."

[csgray]

There are introduced barn owls on all the Hawaiian Islands. They compete with the endangered Pueo for food and nesting sites.

Carol

[Rob Tucker]

Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks. I wonder who the heck brought barn owls here.

[riverwolf]

We have both the Pueo and Barn Owl around our forest of Ohia trees here in Nanawale.
We see them both often.

riverwolf

[Carey]

Barn owls were introduced for pest control, first introduction in 1958, and then 21 owls were released in 1959. research paper link:
http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bit...sequence=1

[tmyc]

I have a Barn Owl that I always see. Check him out on my flickr site. Click on link then go to Set Hawaii My home.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/area53/

[bananahead]

FYI The endemic Pueo is diurnal (hunts in daytime) and lives in burrows (Fence posts on Kona side of Saddle Rd is easiest place to spot them), the Barn Owl (been here since ca1960) is nocturnal (hunts at night) and lives in trees and structures... besides this night/day fact they never see each other because they live in different locations....

the screech you hear is ONLY from the much larger Barn Owl, and when seen at night they seem to glow in dark white, and make no sound when flying... introduced for rodent control, but they eat more bugs than rats/mice

save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha

[pslamont]

Well, we have what is clearly a mated pair of owls... large brown female and a much larger all white male. Now they have a white offspring. They apparently live in the trees out back on our property. I don't see them often but every once in a while they make a big loop flying around the house, inspecting us with curiosity. They are beautiful.

I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says

"Oh Crap, She's up!"