The Owlet Mall and more : St. Patrick's Day

Friday, February 26, 2016

Lucky Owls

With the next major holiday being St. Patrick's day, I thought this would be an appropriate time to explore how luck plays in the role of the symbolic meanings of owls.

St. Patrick's Day Owl Greeting Card by cutencomfy
View more St patricks day Cards at zazzle.com

Let's start with Japan. In Japanese, the word for owl is 'fukurou', meaning protection and fortune. So it is not surprising that lucky owl charms are big in the Japanese culture. These charms are given as gifts for good luck with different colors having a specific purpose. As example: a white owl for happiness, a black owl for good health, a pink owl for love.

In some Native American cultures, the owl was viewed as protective spirits. As such, shamans used their feathers in their practice to ward off evil spirits.

At one time in Lorraine, France, it was believed that owls could help find husbands for spinsters.

An old Welsh belief was that if a pregnant women heard an owl, it meant her child would be blessed.

The owl was seen as a symbol of good fortune in ancient Greece.

In Mongolia, it was believed that an owl had saved Genghis Khan's life. A Barn owl was roosting in the bush he was hiding in and when his enemies started looking there, they saw the owl and left. Khan's enemies did not believed the owl would have still been there if Khan was.

Well, all this convinced me that we could all benefit from adding a few owls in our St. Patrick's Day celebration. Don't you agree? :)

Luck of The Irish St. Patrick's Day Owl Classic White Coffee Mug by DesignsbyDonnaSiggy
Create unique photo mugs online at zazzle.com

St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Cute Owl wisdom & Luck Greeting Card by countrymousestudio
Add your photos and text to blank greeting cards at Zazzle

St. Patty's Day Tie by just_owls
View St pattys day funny just owls Ties online at zazzle

Irish Owl with Shamrock Sticker by mousearte
See other Owl Stickers at zazzle

St. Patrick's Day Irish Girl Owl 2 Inch Round Button by pinback_buttons
Design your own customized buttons and pins online at Zazzle.

St Patricks Day Leprechaun Owl Party 5x7 Paper Invitation Card by mousearte
View other Owl Invitations at Zazzle.com

DON`T DRINK AND FLY TEE SHIRTS by IronicOwl
Create your own custom tshirts online at zazzle.com

St. Patrick's Day Owls (6).png T-shirts by shirtoftheday
Use Zazzle's online t shirt designer.

Owl Wishing you a Happy St. Patty's Day Cake Picks by DesignsbyDonnaSiggy
Browse Shamrock lucky four leaf clovers Cake Picks online at Zazzle.com

Whooo's Lucky St. Patrick's Day Owl T Shirts by cutencomfy
Browse more Zazzlespd16 T-Shirts at Zazzle

Irish Owl for St. Patrick's Day Postcard by Hoot_Hoot
Create a full color post card on Zazzle

St. Patrick’s Day Owl Tshirt by Hoot_Hoot
Browse St patricks day T-Shirts online at Zazzle.com

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Irish Owls

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner and this is a good time to talk about owls. No, owls are not green and they won't lead you to a pot of gold, but they can lead you to the country - Ireland.

There are three owl species that call Ireland their home, so we'll call them the Irish owls.

The most common species is the Long Eared Owl. The name derives from its long ear tufts on top of it's head. They raise these tufts when on alert, and lower them when relaxed. They have spotted brown and black feathers and their eyes are bright orange. They live near open grasslands in woodlands and hunt small animals. They use abandoned crow and other birds nests and lay between 3 to 5 eggs anywhere from late March to the end of August.

The Long Eared Owl is not currently considered as threatened, however, there are concerns that this may happen in the near future with the continual loss of habitats, use of pesticides, and other environmental factors.

USA, Colorado. Portrait of long-eared owl Posters by danitadelimont

Another well known owl species in Ireland is the Barn Owl. This species is the most threatened of the Irish owls. However, due to recent aggressive conservation efforts, these bird's numbers are on the rise (See posting 'Owls in the News' here).

The Barn Owl inhabits mostly farmland and low lying areas. They are well known for nesting in old barns and other man made structures, and, therefore, are closer to proximity with humans. As such, these birds are very willing to nest in boxes made especially for them.

The Barn Owl have light or tan plumage with a white underbelly. They have no ear tufts and have a round head with a heart shaped face. These birds have longer legs then other owl species.

One special characteristic of the Barn Owl is that it mates for life. The female lay 4 to 7 eggs between

April and May. They hunt not only small mammals, but other birds and even insects.

White Barn Owl Poster by WildlifeAnimals

Then there is the Short-Eared Owl. This owl species is not as common as the Long-Eared Owl. It is more widely seen in winter where they can be sighted in grasslands, marshes, and dunes. In the summer, they prefer to frequent the heather moorlands. The Short-Eared Owl resembles much like its cousin, the Long-Eared Owl, except for the smaller ear tufts.

The Short-Eared Owl breed mainly in Ireland's Sileve Bloom mountain area and nest on the ground. Unlike the other two Irish owls, this bird hunts mostly during the day. Their prey are the usual mice, small mammals, as well as the occasional birds and insects.