Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
californian_gw

Urban Owl in OC

californian
12 years ago

I haven't seen it yet, but my neighbor claims a white owl has built a nest in the tallest Eucalyptus tree in the area two yards away, and he saw it flying at night in his backyard which adjoins mine. I have never seen a wild owl in my whole life, so hope it is true. Maybe it will get rid of some of the squirrels that eat my persimmons and telephone wires, occasionally knocking our internet service out, and any gophers that might think of setting up homesteading in our gardens.

Comments (9)

  • home_grower
    12 years ago

    Well if he is that close you should go out at night and try to spot him.

    I often go out back to let my dogs out and cary a small flashlight to check out my fruit trees and kill Black Widows if I see them. About a month ago I was in the middle of the yard and turned at the right time to see a huge white owl fly just a few feet above my head. It was quiet and stealth and I might not have even seen it if my flashlight hadn't shined right on it. It was very cool to see.

    I used to see a lot of them in the hills behind my parents house NE of Simi Valley. We would ride out ATV's at night and would see them fly out of the brush as we rode by.

  • calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
    12 years ago

    At our old house in Watsonville we had a tall redwood in the backyard with a white owl living in the top. The ground under the tree was littered with rodent parts dropped from the tree top.One night the white owl swooped low over our cat in the yard, causing a quick return to the house. I was surprised at the size. Al

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    12 years ago

    Definitely go out at dusk, just before it gets dark, and you might spot her, californian! We have several barn owls here in my neighborhood, as well as a few Great Horned Owls as well (they're the owl that goes, "who, who, who"). Unfortunately, the Great Horned Owls like to eat baby barn owls, so for those of us who have put up barn owl houses, we've taken the perches off, so the GHO can't sit on the perch, and snatch the baby barn owls when they peek out of their house and try to fledge.

    Patty S.

  • hosenemesis
    12 years ago

    They screech. You'll hear them. I hear them here, but I have not seen them yet.
    Renee

  • tressa
    12 years ago

    We have quite a few barn owls in the hills here in Temecula. We have 2 right now living under the eaves of a storage bin. They flew out yesterday morning when I approached with the dogs - then as one sat on a tall boulder, looking huge, 3 crows chased it off. I hate those crows!!! They chase the cooper's hawks that are living in the oaks too! We have so many rodents this year I need a VERY LARGE population of raptors to help me out....

  • napapen
    12 years ago

    I have a group of barn owls that live around me. One comes every evening and lands in my tallest redwood and surveys the area before taking off. 2 great horned are living across the street in a tall redwood. I love hearing them. Penny

  • softmentor
    12 years ago

    I love owls. I can call up a pair of Great Horned that nest about 1/2 mile from here, and have a regular conversation with them. SO KEWL. White are probably going to make a skreeeech kind of call. As to the squires, they may not help, as they prefer smaller game like mice that they can swallow whole.

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    12 years ago

    There are Barn Owls and Great Horned in OC. We've seen and heard both. They eat rats and gophers. Do not put out poison for rats/mice or gophers and discourage your neighbors from doing so as well--use traps instead.

    Owls and other raptors can catch prey dying from poison and be poisoned themselves.

  • aquilachrysaetos
    12 years ago

    I see barn owls regularly around here, usually in flight. They are the main reason I have not put poisons out even though I have a frustrating gopher problem. I was ready to after they killed a young deodara but the next couple nights later I saw one of the beautiful white birds fluttering by on one of my walks. I would feel awful if one ate one of my poisoned varmints.

    Barn owl populations are in decline partly because of gopher poisons. Gophers are the mainstay of their diet in California.

    Great Horned owls will eat anything they can catch which includes adult barn owls and even hawks unlucky enough to be seen by a great horned. Even though GHOs live in my area I have only heard them once and that was a pair in the middle of a very noisy and public courtship ritual. I don't think anyone slept a wink in that neighborhood.