[obol] Another kind of "road kill"

[Joel Geier]

Hello folks,

Last Sunday night (5 Feb) as I was driving on eastbound I-205 near Lake
Oswego, on my way to catch a red-eye flight at PDX, I was startled to
see something very large, gray, and feathered flash across the lane
ahead of me, swooping downward toward the right-hand shoulder. Out of
the corner of my eye I saw it barrel into the grass feet-first, just a
few feet off the right-hand shoulder of the freeway.

It was a GREAT HORNED OWL, heading on a track that probably meant a
different kind of "road kill" for whatever small creature it was
hunting ... though at considerable risk to the hunter. I was following
about 150 yards behind the truck in front of me, so the owl only had
about five seconds in between vehicles to make its swoop.

I've often marveled at the ability of Red-tailed Hawks and American
Kestrels to hunt along freeway median strips, but this is the first time
I've seen a Great Horned Owl doing this.

Barn Owls have a very high mortality along roadsides. Both Western
Screech-Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls often end up as hunters-turned
victims, as did a Snowy Owl last year. But this one Great Horned Owl, at
least, seems to have a knack for timing its hunting between cars passing
at 55+ mph. I wonder how long it can keep it up.

Good birding,
Joel

P.S. This also provides one answer to the question of where to find
Great Horned Owls near Portland.

--
Joel Geier
joel.geier at peak.org