That's a great story. It's not often that someone gets such a natural history lesson from a Barred Owl.

Hi Dirtgirl,
Okay.......I'm a little slow.......now where's all the feathers coming from? I don't imagine a crawdad has much of a chance against an owl, so I'm thinking they aren't pulling the feathers out.??? Where does the owl sit while watching for the crawdads? (the phone post?). What a patient animal! I'm thinking, it must catch them while they're outside their hole.
I was driving down our lane once, when I saw one in the middle of the road. I stopped and got out and walked up to it, and it was holding it's pincers up, like it was really ticked at me and was saying "Make my Day!". It was a little silly to see.....but I guess you always gotta try!
Your owl has definitely developed a taste for them. Does it eat all but the claws?

Cathy...
yup, our bird definitely seems to be using the post, but we don't know if it is pouncing on the 'dads from there of it is just returning to the post to munch on them. Could be both.
I did a closer check after the first post and lo and behold...the thing has gotten so comfortable with this routine that it actually coughed up a pellet from the post this time. This is the first one I found at that location--I'd been quietly hoping for this since you can learn an awful lot from an owl pellet:)--and I got lots of surprises when I started poking around in that little goodie. Yes, lots of crawdad exoskeleton, but here's the big shocker: our bird is also eating quite a few beetles, possibly stag beetles by the look of the remains. I kept pulling out these mahogany colored wing coverlets and thinking, now wait a minute, crawdads don't have THOSE...
And oddly enough, very few mammal bits. Must be better or at least easier pickings in that ditch!! Maybe I should set out some clarified butter and a twist of fresh lemon...

I'm now pondering ways to get my motion camera mounted to that phone pedestal!

Oh and Cathy, forgot to add...I guess owl feathers must shuck off fairly easily when they make a dive onto prey. Given the fact that there are so many out there on a regular basis, I'm thinking at least a few of this bird's attempts at food are staged at a higher location than the pedestal. But there definitely wouldn't be any need for shock and awe tactics if you are picking off crawdads lumbering about the dry ground.

I knew that crayfish could live in muddy soils, as well as in ponds. But I didn't know they came out at night. Do you suppose they come up to feed?

Send your owl up to my Dad's cabin in Minnesota - someone introduced Indiana crayfish into the lake there and the suckers have grown to the size of small lobsters, I kid you not. There's one on every rock. An owl could have some good eating if they're as thick on the banks as they are in the water :)

Dirtgirl thanks for sharing your wonderful story! I enjoyed it immensly!
-stephen

Thanks, Stephen.
With so much going on outside, it's no wonder my TV is just a waste of space. Hey, I could be piling REFERENCE BOOKS there...
(that's for you Elly NJ :) )
I shouldn't joke...I am way short on space for more books. Maybe I should remove the picture tube and put in a shelf?

Jillmcm....maybe you should send them a good recipe for gumbo and a seine! I'm thinking my birds are happy here until they run out of willing entrees!

EricWI,
we are right in the middle of a serious dry spell. The turtles left the smaller pools for better waters a long time ago and the crawdads are probably taking advantage of the dewy nights for foraging. Most of their "tower" covered tubes probably still hold some water down deep but the shallower ones are likely hurting by now.

Cool story, DG. You always have the best stories!! not at all hurt by your ability to write them down for us in such detail! Thanks.

: )

I love reading your opinions.

wink wink
nod nod

That's so cool! Thanks for telling us about that Cajun Owl! Play it some Zydeco music!

or maybe some Hootie and the Crayfish-er- Blowfish

forgive me