Hope everyone had a great Halloween! I got a great Halloween surprise, I got an up-close-and-personal encounter with a Great Horned Owl.
I volunteer for the American Wildlife Refuge, a non-profit organization that rehabilitates and refuges injured raptors. A raptor, in case you don't know is a bird of prey that kills its food with it's feet, like an eagle, hawk or owl. I'm licensed to handle and temporarily possess raptors. I discover raptor rehab in college, and I've pursued it ever since.
Occassionally, I get a call to go pick up an injured bird and take it to a vet or to the rehab center. I got a call on Halloween from a guy in Research Triangle Park who found an injured owl by the side of the road. It turns out it was a Great Horned owl, which are common in this area. It was most likely hit by a car. All owls have this air of mystery about them, and their huge glassy eyes seem to look right through you. So it seemed kind of appropriate that this owl would pick this day to get found.
The picture is above is a Great Horned. They are the largest owl in this area and they have no predators (except people) and are generally unafraid of other people and animals. They stand a little over a foot tall and can grip they prey with 1500 pounds of force per square inch.
