They are beautiful creatures, aren't they? They're hunters, so you'd want to make sure they've got food. Rodents are their faves...not exactly what you want in your yard. But having the wilderness nearby, and habitat for them to hide in will help.

What a treat for you!

They are probably taking up residence in the wooded area, most will stay in their area as long as winters are not too harsh and they can find food. They usually have a pattern of when they come out and I would try to take note of when and then sit out to enjoy them and take pictures if you want. As long as people are not disturbing the wooded area they will hang out. The creek is a food source as well as the rabbits.

Please do not feed them, of course they will hang around but it has negative impact on several levels. For example you buy mice to set out, the owls will learn that food is always in that area and not much need to hunt, this creates a dependency on you- but it also increases wild mice numbers. Not to mention- depending on your state laws- putting food out for owls can be considered baiting and comes along with a hefty fine.

A vet I worked for did wildlife rehab and we had an owl for several months that underwent surgery on its wing. We fed her uterus/testicles from spay/neuters while she was pretty much immobile. Then she went to another facility when she healed- they had to work with her scavenging skills because she was dependent on human. Once they knew she was fine to fend for her own food she was released back to the wild.

Ditto with groomin'. They are enjoying the meesies and such in the wooded area, as well as the source of water. Sounds like they've found a good spot to take up roost, so long as it's undisturbed. I think they're reclusive birds, as well as nocturnal, so take note of their patterns as groomin' noted.

Gosh, so soft looking on the top and ALL BUSINESS on the claw end...aren't they stunning...and on your *deck railing* of all places! Groomingal sounds like she knows what she's talking about :) -- just enjoy the wildlife visitation for as long as you can -- if you're lucky they'll nest there next year--BIG nest, btw...I remember when a barred owl nested in the local Audubon society acreage -- it bullied out smaller spotted owls who had nested there so there were mixed feelings...

I would never feed them and besides that I'm way to squeamish to deal with mice. We have deer in this wooded barrier too, although I haven't seen them since December. I did some research on them and found out the dangers of feeding them, so all wild things are on their own in my backyard habitat.

I have a feeling that the owls' nest is not far from the back of my house, since I see them flying back to the same area often. Hope to get a picture someday.

Cats make very good bait.

artlover- I would love to see pics if you can get one! My grandparents had one owl that took up residence near their creek for at least 15 years- you could set your clock by him. As far as them being nocturnal- for the most part they are but it is not unusual to see them in the day hours. Give the owl some time to get used to seeing you and he will eventually not care if you sit and watch- remember I want pictures!

I wish more people would research wild animals (or any animal) before they try to feed it or care for it. I have had people bring in baby deer, birds, possums, raccoons, snakes, and skunks- word of advice a baby skunk will spray. It is best to let them stay in the wild- most are babies that are "lost" or hit by car- what amazes me is people would bring them in and expect to be allowed to keep them as a pet when they were better.

jasonmi- i'm glad you mentioned that- cats, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs- household pets that can be outdoors are subject to the owl food chain.

Funny you mentioned cats. I have two - both indoor kitties. One of them has almost identical coloring to the Barred owl. She looks similar to a Maine Coon but she is a tiny 9 lbs. The night we saw the two owls on the deck kitty jumped up on the kitchen table which is right next to the deck. The owls and the pussy cat were no more than 10 feet apart, though separated by glass doors. They had a real stare down.

My kitties think that time on the deck is a holiday. Guess it might be a little risky for them.

Oh, and Jason, I'm going to pretend you were kidding. LOL

Oops...I hope no one thought I actually meant to provide the owl with rodents!!

I only like feeding the song birds, but DH insists on feeding the squirrels, too. That might stop now that I found a fat rat sitting on top of the squirrel feeder.

Where's that damn hunter cat of mine when you need him?? Or better yet, your owl!

An owl's eye is probably the most efficient organ of vision possesed by any animal. It has a visual sensitivity at least 35 times greater than ours, and possibly as much as 100 times greater. They can see well in both light and dark. They can't roll their eyes in the sockets because their eyes aren't round. They're more like tubes. To make up for that, they can rotate their heads maybe as much as 270 degrees horizontally and 90 degrees or more vertically.

Owls also have great hearing. The "ear tufts" of feathers on top of their heads are not ears and have nothing to do with hearing. A bird's ears are holes in the sides of their heads, covered with feathers. Owls especially can hear high sounds like the squeaking of a mouse, or a mouse scurring across a field, twigs breaking, that kind of hunting noises.

Do you know if there is anything I can do to encourage them to stay?

Barred owls eat mice and other small mammals, as well as frogs, birds, and snakes. They can also wade into the water to catch fish. They like small prey they can swallow whole. Larger prey is ripped into chunks. They digest what is digestible, and cough back up and spit out a pellet of what is not digestible. Scientists examine those pellets to figure out their diets.

CAN an owl kill a dog or cat? Oh my yes. Owls can and do attack, kill and eat small dogs and cats, although they prefer smaller puppies and kittens. It's not real common; it's not their food of first choice, but it happens once in a while. We had a Great Horned Owl in our last neighborhood that was killing feral cats -- according to an owl expert I talked with. Owls can swoop on their prey so quietly they take them by surprise; their feathers are fringed in such a way as to absorb noise. Owls usually behead their prey, and almost certainly eat the eyes first. So if you find a dead animal and the head and eyes are intact, it almost certainly was not an owl.

A Great Horned Owl weighs about 4-5 lbs, and a grown Barred Owl is about the same I think, so it's not like they're going to fly away with heavy prey. The GHO is a little stronger than the Barred. The good news is they only hunt at night. So watch your small and baby pets at night and don't leave them out alone -- especially during nesting season when the owls have young to feed.

Owls will attack a human too (not for kill/food of course), generally to scare you away from their nests. They have very nasty talons and can be very aggressive during nesting season so if they swoop you, stay out of that area after that for a couple of months. You might want to learn what months the Barred Owls nest in your area.

I am not saying you should be terrified of owls. That would be silly. But you should have a healthy respect for them and some knowledge.

Here, watch these daytime territorial attacks to see how brave and aggressive an owl can be...

Fearless owl

Here is a link that might be useful: Owl attack