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Sunday, May 3, 2015

May Flowers and Owls


You know what they say, April showers bring May flowers. Now, Owls don't really have use for flowers, except maybe for the moths they pluck from them for their young. However, there is one Welsh myth that links the two.


It is the story of a woman named Blodeuwedd, that was made from flowers by a wizard at the request of a man who was cursed to never have a human wife.  She is later, in turn, cursed by the husband's uncle for cheating on and conspiring to murder the husband. The uncle had her cursed into an owl so that she will never " ....dare to show your face ever again in the light of day ever again, and that will be because of enmity between you and all other birds. It will be in their nature to harass you and despise you wherever they find you. And you will not lose your name - that will always be "Bloddeuwedd (Flower-face)".

There is, of course, more to the story, and if your interested, you can read more about it at The Order of Bards Ovates and & Druids. 

 There is one more link between flowers and owls that I want to share with you. In a public garden in Taiwan, there are three huge owl sculptures made out of flowers. They are beautiful!  See them here: 1001 Gardens.

In any event, let's celebrate spring and all the little owlets hatching this time of year with awesome 'owls with flowers' gifts products:





Owls Sitting on Flowers Mug
Owls Sitting on Flowers Mug by LeeArtHaus
Create unique photo mugs online at zazzle.com






Blodeuwedd Print
Blodeuwedd Print by evallyr
Get the best in online poster printing at zazzle.com

































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Friday, April 17, 2015

Owl Mother's Day

Mother's Day will soon be here; a time to acknowledge all mommies that, not only provide lots of love and care, but who also make many sacrifices for their offspring. There is no denying that motherhood is hard work, and mama owls are no exception.


The exact breeding season varies depending on the owl species, food supply, and weather; however, the  female owl lays 3 or 4 eggs usually during the months of February and March. Then it's a long haul to keep those precious eggs warm and safe, despite the cold. Incubation for owl eggs lasts about a month. Can you imagine having to sit still that long?! Let alone on eggs and in the cold. But that's what mama owl has to do, and she's very good at it.

 Just before the laying, mama owl starts losing most of the feathers on her belly (brood patch) so that the warm blood vessels there can serve as a heater to the eggs. So, on top of everything else, she partially naked! Come on, you got to admire mama owl. It's a good thing, too, that Mr. Owl is a good papa. While mama owl is sitting on her eggs, papa owl is hunting and delivering food to her.

After the owlets hatch, it's a full time job feeding all those hungry mouths. Not only that, but not all the eggs may hatch at the same time, so mama owl may still need to 'sit' for awhile. Again, it's a good thing papa owl is there to help. Once all the eggs are hatched, mama owl can leave papa owl to babysit while she spreads her wings and do some of the hunting herself.

 Like other raptors, owlets remain dependent on their parents for several weeks, even months. Mama owl will keep close and continue feeding them until they learn how to fly and hunt on their own.  I say, good job, mama owl!

Let's also give a round of applause to all the loving and hard working human mothers. 

Owl Themed Mother's Day Gifts Products: 

 










Hoota Mama Coffee Mugs
Hoota Mama Coffee Mugs by Clareville
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Friday, April 3, 2015

Not All Hoots Are The Same

     Although we all know owls hoot, not all hoots are the same. For one thing, only two owl species actually "hoot": the Great Horned Owl and the Hoot Owl. Hear the Great Horned Owl Here . Other owl species have their own distinctive calls that can be described as screaming, screeching, or other word-like sounds, like "who cooks for you" and "co co co co".   One owl, the Burrowing Owl, even makes a sound like a rattlesnake and the Barred Owl can makes sounds like a monkey. 

     There are about 200 species of owls in the world and each have their own distinctive calls. Owls use their voices to communicate for many reasons, but primarily to claim their territory and attract mates,  and some owls are more vocal than others.  However, when threatened or angry, all owls make snapping sounds with their beaks, click their tongues, and hiss, even owlets. listen - angry owlet

     You can hear most owls' calls when they are most active at dusk and during the night. Other species can be heard at dawn and during the day; examples are Snowy Owls, Pygmy Owls, and Short-Eared Owls.  For most owl species, you can hear them anytime of the year, but the best time is during the mating season which is generally from November through February or March.

      With the exception of the Barn Owl, the male's call is usually deeper than that of the female's. In the Barn Owl world, the more vocal and loudest is the male who makes chilling long lasting screams  repeatedly while flying.

                                    Watch this video for more owl call samples:

  
For additional samples, visit Sunlight and the Seasons- Listen to Owls: Audio Clips and The Owl Pages - Owl Calls & Sounds Page 

It's obvious owls have a lot to say; just look at these chatty owl themed gift products:  









Great Horned Owl with Quote Postcard
Great Horned Owl with Quote Postcard by gramabarb
Browse for more postcards from zazzle.com.



Choose to respect knowledge...motivational poster
Choose to respect knowledge...motivational poster by inFinnite
Check out Challenge Posters online at zazzle


Owl Family Tree and Quote iPhone 5 Cases
Owl Family Tree and Quote iPhone 5 Cases by KaleenaRae
Browse Family Casemate Cases online at Zazzle.com


Umm.... What shall we talk about next time? :)




















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Saturday, March 21, 2015

The Owl's' Silent Flight

     There's much mystique surrounding owls and one of them is their unique ability to sneak up on their prey while in flight.  When other birds fly, their flapping wings create turbulence (air gushing over the surface of the wings) which emits a noise, thereby, giving warning of their coming. Owls, on the other hand, have a special wing design and other body characteristics that gives them the ability to fly in complete silence. 

     For starters, the owl's broad wings helps it glide in the air without having to flap too often. When they do need to flap, their unique wing design reduces the noise made by turbulence.  They are able to do that, in part, by their primary feathers which are serrated, or comb-like, that breaks down the turbulence into smaller air currents. These primary serrated feathers are called 'fimbriae' or 'flutings'.  The edge of these feathers are also softer, allowing more air to pass through which further reduce the noise. There is some speculation that these soft feathers may also shift the sound energy to a frequency beyond the hearing of prey and humans. Furthermore, the down-like feathers on the owl's legs serves as noise reduction.

      These intriguing characteristics of the owl's silent flight have captured the attention of scientists who are now working on developing a quieter aircraft.


                                                               Learn more in this video:



   Then enjoy owls in fight with these unique designed gift products:






Owl in flight tee shirts
Owl in flight tee shirts by Peninink
Check out other Owl T-Shirts at zazzle.com

Brown Owls in Flight Shirt
Brown Owls in Flight Shirt by Memory_Lane
Find more Animal T-Shirts at Zazzle


WHITE OWL IN FLIGHT CARD
WHITE OWL IN FLIGHT CARD by Yongsin05
View other White Cards at Zazzle.com






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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
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. 





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.





And since St. Patrick's Day is near, here are some fun owl themed St. Patrick's Day products:


St. Patrick's Owl Card
St. Patrick's Owl Card by i_17bingo
Shop for more greeting cards online at Zazzle.

St. Patrick's Day Owl Party Plate
St. Patrick's Day Owl Party Plate by cutencomfy
Browse St patricks day Plates online at Zazzle.com

St. Patrick’s Day Owl Tee Shirt
St. Patrick’s Day Owl Tee Shirt by Punk_Your_Party
View other St patricks day T-Shirts at Zazzle.com











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