SATURDAY CRITTERS

These are three wooden critters I photographed in a park in Donegal.

I am linking to SATURDAY CRITTERS

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 I hope you enjoyed this post today.

SATURDAY CRITTERS

Recently a friend of mine Don, The Owl Man, brought his Owls to the WWT at Castle Espie and I went to photograph them. I am holding, a heavy Eurasian Eagle Owl and linking this post with Saturday Critters.

I have forgotten  the  names of some of these Owls 

but this one is the Great Grey Owl.

The middle darker owl is a Spectacled Owl.

Can anyone ID 7/8 and 11 images for me please?

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WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY - Burrowing Owl

These are some images of a Burrowing Owl which I photographed at Artis Royal Zoo in Amsterdam.  I am linking to Wild Bird Wednesday.

Tomorrow I will show you birds I photogaphed at Hersey Nature Reserve.

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Little Owl

A friend sent me this photograph that was taken on holidays in England.  I was nearly green with envy as we do not see the Little Owl here is Northern Ireland.  

The Lirrle Owl is usually 22 centimetres (8.7 in) in length with a wingspan of 56 centimetres (22 in) for both sexes, and weighs about 180 grams (6.3 oz).

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SATURDAY CRITTERS -Mount Stewart House and Gardens (Part 6)

I wonder did anyone guess from yesterday's teaser that the first horse is portrayed in this very famous painting which you will hear about on the video.  It is on the wall facing the main staircase.  As I when upstairs to view it, I  also videoed inside the three bedrooms. 

CLICK HERE if the video does not appear.

I would like to thank the guide that were extremely cooperative in assisting me.

These chairs are in the passageway outside the bedrooms and as I turn round to go down this wonderful staircase, I see the beautiful lacquered doors.  

The two panels on the left are false and only made to match the other side of the door that does open.  Now we have to step outside and see the other horse.

Does anyone recognise it?

Well I showed you it when I photographed the exhibition of sculptures in 

Bangor Walled Garden a few months ago. 
It seems to have galloped over to Mount Stewart's Gardens! 

And who is this fellow? 

He looks a bit lost where he is sitting.

Then I spied this bedraggled Owl in a tree. Well is it an Owl?  

Better look at critters that are alive now.

Plenty of critter action going on around these flower heads.

Some Mallard ducks, Mute Swans with their cygnets and a Coot.

Time for lunch and who have I got to join me outside in the lovely sunshine.  This lovely kitten but it was very shy and 

would hardly come out from until the bushes.

There were quite a number of birds like the Robin, Wren, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Blue Tit and this friendly Great Tit was very cocky and sat on the chair opposite me hoping for an easy lunch.

I do hope you have enjoyed today's post.

I am linking it  with SATURDAY CRITTERS.

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Spectacled Owl - Pulsatrix perspicillata

I called into Castle Espie WWT some time ago and Karl Hamilton from Mantella Evironmental Education  CLICK HERE was showing people the Spectacled Owl. Pulsatrix perspicillata, a large tropical Owl.  It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico and Trinidad, through Central America, south to southern Brazil, Paraguay and northwestern Argentina.  There are six subspecies.  This Owl below is called Ralph and is 6 years old.

The Spectacled Owl can range from 17 to 20 in in length. Mass in males can range from 0.999 to 1.543 lb, where as females can weigh from 1.50 to 2.20 lb.  It is unmistakable with brown upperparts, head and upper breast, white facial markings and whitish to yellowish-ochre underparts. The eyes are yellow and the beak is pale. 

The juvenile is even more distinctive than the adult, being completely white apart from a chocolate brown facial disc. Of the six subspecies, only the nominate and P. p. saturata are well described. P. p. saturata differs from the typical Spectacled Owl only in that it is black on the head and the back, with black barring on the sides.

The primary sound made by the Spectacled Owl consists of knocking or tapping sounds with a popping effect: PUP-pup-pup-pup-po or BOO Boo boo boo boo. Each progressive note becomes weaker but faster as the call continues. Females also make a hawk-like scream, ker-WHEEER, which has often been compared to a steam-whistle.

The Spectacled Owl is primarily a bird of tropical rain forests, being found mostly in areas where dense, old-growth forest is profuse. However, it may enter secondary habitats, such as forest edges, especially while hunting. On occasion, they have been found in dry forests, treed savanna plains, plantations and semi-open areas with trees.

This species is largely nocturnal, starting activity right around the time of last light at dusk and usually being back on their roosts for the day around first light. It is a solitary, unsocial bird, usually roosting singly each day and only peaceable associating with others of their own species for reproductive purposes.

The Spectacled Owl is typical the largest and most dominant owl in its range, with the larger Great Horned Owl rarely venturing into true rainforest habitats. Most hunting starts with the owl perched on a branch and scanning the area, then dropping with a quick pounce when prey is located. It preys principally on a wide array of mammals, eating almost anything type that is nocturnally active. Various rodents may be primary but other mammals preyed on have included opossums and skunks.  Prey species can be heavier than the predating owl, weigh over 3.3 lb as in Didelphis opossums, and even the much larger three-toed sloth has been reported to have been killed.  Invertebrates are eaten regularly as well, mainly caterpillars, but also crabs, snails, large insects and spiders. Insects may be gleaned directly from foliage while the large owls actively forage. Birds are also taken, including species, such as jays and pigeons, which are taken off of their nocturnal perches and smaller types of owl.

In Costa Rica, eggs are laid variously in the dry season (November–May), or at the start of the wet season (June–July). This owl typically nests in an unlined tree cavity. Spectacled Owls lay 1-2 eggs, which are incubated by the female for about 5 weeks. Chicks leave the nest for surrounding branches at about 5–6 weeks, well before they can fly, but depend on their parents for up to a year once fledged. Often, only one of the chicks will survive.

He also showed us a Tarantula.

Then we saw a Scorpion.

At last it was the turn of Darium, a 16 year old Carpet Python which of course I had to hold him!

While I was holding Darium, Carl shot a short video of him.

It can be access at

http://youtu.be/JsPcM8ExEJg

If there is a black space below, click it and the video will appear.

Thanks you for visiting and I hope you enjoyed it.

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I am linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS.