It was a normal night in the aviary, watching the bats fly, seeing who looks ready for release and who needs more time. The eastern red pup that was low on the side wall this morning was flying beautifully so he seems to be recovered. The northern yellows were flying with astonishing speed and power and I just managed to get a shot of one of the pups (at bottom of the post).
All of a sudden, the yellows crashed back into their palm fronds, I looked up, saw a shadow, and just got this shot as a Barred Owl flew right over the flight cage with a bluejay in it’s talons!
All the bats took cover so I looked for the owl in a nearby tree and found it staring back at me.
I watched it feed on the bluejay for half an hour before it went on about its business. Just check out this series of photos!
After the shadow of the Barred Owl crossed over the aviary the second time, not a single bat flew for the next few hours!
Here’s the photo of the Yellow taken just before the owl crossed over the cage with the jay. Is it me, or is he shouting “Incoming!”
Found under tree next day
Ed Sones says:
Excellent photography! It’s encouraging to see that the young bats still have the instincts to recognize that even the shadow is danger. For the bluejay, its choice of roosting site was poor. Thanks for the nature update.
leemack says:
Thanks Ed. Seemsit was a little too much reality for our Facebook fans!
Did that jay need to be in a thicker thicket, or what? Where do they roost, surely not out in the open? I’m thinking that is why non-predator birds go to roost well before dark, so they have the pick of the roosting spot that is safest from predation.
That barred owl might be the one we saw roosting in a big old pecan tree nearby a few year ago.