Carole Hears a Whoo (and Gets an Unexpected Shellacking)

Today is a special day, indeed it is.  Today is Dr. Seuss’ birthday, it ’tis, it ’tis.  Carole Hears a Whoo (about a barn owl encounter) is written in honor of this auspicious occasion.  I really didn’t need much arm-twisting or persuasion.

So, sit back, take a load off and get ready to giggle and snort;

for when Horton heard a who, it was quite a different sort.

You see Horton’s Who was a small planet on a microscopic piece of dust,

while Carole’s who is…well, you just have to read it, you must!

Carole Hears a Whoo aka Gets an Unexpected Shellacking

Hiking and schlepping through fields on a bright warm day in May

Stepping over mud piles, gopher holes and ant hills along the way

Camera in hand, telephoto lens attached

Lord knows I didn’t want to be caught off guard or mismatched.

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For when opportunity knocks, you may only get one chance

Whether it’s a romance, a rain dance, a sundance, or a square dance.

In the distance, I heard a soft cooing sound carried by the wind

Was it my imagination playing tricks on me again?

A “whoo”, then another – cried out in unison

“Whoo…whoo,” a pause, then it started again.

My eyes roamed the skies searching for a bird of prey

Would an owl fly around in the middle of the day?

Nocturnal by nature, what were the chances

That a barn owl would be performing swirling sky dances?

Spying an owl barn in a giant tree in the distance

Maybe an owl was in that barn at this very instance?

I approached in silence, stepping over hurdles with great care

Not wanting to startle an owl or maybe a nesting pair!

I focused my camera lens high up into the tree

And what a surprise – two dark eyes stared back at me!

“Oh, look at you…aren’t you so cute!”

I cooed and cajoled as the Barn Owl cried “hoot!”

Then he took a step back, eyeing me with disdain on the ground floor

Turned around, backed up, and stuck his rear out the door.

His feathers flew up, his feathers fluttered down

With a two-step, sideways shuffle, his feathers quivered around.

With a shake of his feathers and a twist of his back

Hoot, the Barn Owl, lined himself up for the attack.

All my senses heighten at full alert

Imagine my surprise when he let out a squirt!

A stream of wet poo came flying my way

A quick leap backward I took without delay!

As I focused my camera on Hoot the Barn Owl, I prayed

“Lord, let me capture this moment for posterity {giggle}, okay?”

“Squirt, spurt, sputter and spew,” the sound was disarming

A torrent of poop gushed forth in a cascade that was alarming!

Saved from a disaster of biblical proportions from goop

After all, who wants to be covered in owl poop!

“I feel better, don’t you?” sighed Hoot, the Barn Owl, with a decided “Whoo-whoo.”

As he turned around and settled back into the owl barn, the door covered in poo.

Glaring at me, with those deep dark peepers, he assessed the situation

After all, there’s no such thing as an owl vacation.

Suddenly, he stepped out, flapped his wings and took flight

His tummy now empty, it was time for a bite!

Climbing higher and higher he took to the sky

Silently gliding with the wind he did fly.

Searching high and low, he moved further and further away

Soaring, swaying, and circling, was this just play?

Suddenly surrounded and mobbed by other birds galore

Hoot the Barn Owl concluded, “this is too much of a chore!”

He fled to his barn in the sycamore tree while still daylight

Vowing to try again once it was midnight.

After all, by nature, barn owls hunt from dusk to dawn

“The mice are better after dark,” he said with a yawn!

Barn Owl Facts

With approximately 28 different subspecies of barn owls (Tyto alba), barn owls are widespread and located worldwide in every continent except Antarctica.

What is special about barn owls?

• Barn owls do not have ear tufts.
• Barn owls are usually nocturnal, so the fact that I had this encounter with one of the barn owls living on our property is rare!
• Barn owls have a pale, whitish heart-shaped face making them appear ghostly, especially at night.
• Barn owls fly silently because of the structure of the leading and trailing edge feathers of their wings, which minimize the sounds of their wingbeats.
• Barn owls can locate prey by sound alone, usually with deadly accuracy.
• When discovered in the daytime, a barn owls will nod, bob, and weave its head from side to side, peering at its intruder.

What is a barn owl’s habitat?

Barn owls prefer large areas of open or semi-open space such as grasslands, marshes, agricultural fields and farmland, woodland edges, prairies, and the like.

What are the threats to the barn owls’ habitat?

• • wildfire
  • heatwaves
  • habitat loss due to urbanization
  • collision with cars
  • collision with power lines
  • starvation
  • freezing weather
  • pesticides

Where do barn owls live?

Barn owls live in tree trunk cavities, dense trees, caves, cliffs, manmade nesting boxes, silos, church belfries and steeples, abandoned barns, other abandoned buildings and houses, dry wells, crevices under bridges, and do not build their own nests.  Above is an owl grooming in one of our owl nesting boxes (we have two) outfitted with a camera.

Is the barn owl known by other names?

Yes; the barn owl is also known as the white owl, demon owl, ghost owl, screech owl, church owl, monkey-faced owl, and more!

Do barn owls mate for life?

Yes; they are together until one of them dies.

How big are barn owls?

Barn owls are considered a medium-sized owl by owl standards.  They range in height (sometimes referred to as length) from 12 to 16 inches, weigh between just under a pound (16 ounces) up to a pound and a half (24 ounces), and have a wingspan of 3 to 4 feet.

What color is a barn owl?

Barn owls are shades of brown, buff, and gray and usually have a white face, chest, and underwings.  At night, they appear all white, especially when flying.  Chest plumage is sometimes mottled with dark spots (females usually have a spotted chest and males usually have an all-white chest).

What color eyes do barn owls have?

Barn owls have haunting, dark brown eyes and have excellent night vision.

What do barn owls eat?

Barn owls eat mostly voles, mice, and rats, but also consume all kinds of small mammals.  Interestingly, they often swallow their prey whole regurgitating owl pellets, which are the undigestable parts of their prey, primarily the skin and bones.

What does a barn owl sound like?

Barn owls don’t hoot, they screech.  An eerie, death-defying, spine-tingling screech.  So, forgive my creative license in writing the story above and naming this barn owl “Hoot.”  What I actually heard on that fateful day was a mourning dove!

Barn Owl References Cited

This is a list of websites I used in researching the “Barn Owl Facts” section above:

All About Birds – Barn Owl Identification

All About Birds – Barn Owl Overview

Audubon – Barn Owl Field Guide

Wikipedia – Barn Owl

The Owl Pages – Barn Owl

Owl Research Institute – Barn Owl

Honoring Dr. Seuss

I hope you enjoyed reading about an extraordinary day, written in Seussical rhyme to honor the genius of Dr. Seuss.  Born Theodor Seuss Geisel on March 2, 1904, Dr. Seuss spread joy throughout the world with his magical characters, fantastical places, and lessons that are still relevant today.

“From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.” – Dr. Seuss

Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for sharing your magical genius with the world!

Here’s a Doodly video I created to celebrate reading – a Dr. Seuss quote included!  Enjoy!

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

For a Dr. Seuss overload, check out all these Dr. Seuss-related products:

Dr. Seuss Books and Dr. Seuss-inspired Books || Dr. Seuss Toys || Dr. Seuss Games || Dr. Seuss Party Decorations || Dr. Seuss Kids’ Clothing || Dr. Seuss-inspired Costumes || Dr. Seuss Decor

For a Barn Owl overload, check out all these barn owl-related products:

Barn Owl Books || Barn Owl Toys || Barn Owl Nesting Boxes || Barn Owl Decor || Barn Owl Clothing || Barn Owl Video || Barn Owl Puzzles || Owl Blankets || Owl Pillows || Owl Scarves || Owl Coffee Mugs

Will you do me a favor?  Would you share my post on social media?  The pinnable images scattered throughout this post are for your Pinterest boards so that you can bookmark this post and come back to it later.  Thanks for sharing!

Barn Owl Images for Sharing on Social Media

This pinnable image tells the story in photos!

This one, too, tells the story in pictures with a bit of rhyming.

And don’t forget to sign up to receive my newsletter in your inbox.  As a thank you, I’ll send you a freebie!  Look for the sign-up boxes near the top of this post and again at the bottom of this post.  Thanks so much!

Tootles,

Related Posts from Toot Sweet 4 Two’s Archives:

The Remarkable Barn in the Sky + 42 Types of Owls

Operation Swallow Adios

Toilet Paper Roll Crafts:  How to Make Adorable Owl Napkin Rings

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