Sunday, May 15, 2011

feeling nature

On the way to work on Friday morning I heard a pack of Australian Ravens making short barking sounds. It wasn't there usual call and when I spotted the group to my horror, I saw that they had flushed an owl from a  daytime roost and where driving it away. They where soon joined by Magpies and Sulfur-crested Cockatoos, with the poor owl pecked and harried. It was so distressing to watch. The owl was having trouble flying and getting away as its sight is affected in daylight. I couldn't help but anthropomorphise the event and project a feeling that the aggression of the birds was because the tables where turned on a top predator, who was weakened by being outside of his dark realm. I followed them around awaiting to see if it fell out the sky but they went over the Art School and into a groups of trees. 

I didn't have my binos so couldn't see what kind of owl it was, but going on size - it was bigger than the magpies but smaller than the crows, and colour - dark streaked brown, it was either a Tawny Frogmouth or a Barking Owl. The outline - a stubbed head and neat fan-shaped tail make me think that it was a Barking Owl. Will have to check the birders chat line to see if anyone has seen one recently.

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