*You know that Jonny Wurster kid, the kid that delivers papers
in the neighborhood? He’s a foreign kid. Some of the neighbors
say he smokes crack, but I don’t believe it.
Anyway, for his tenth birthday, all he wanted was a Burrow Owl.
Kept bugging his old man. “Dad, get me a burrow owl. I’ll never
ask for anything else as long as I live.” So the guy
breaks down and buys him a burrow owl.
Anyway, 10:30, the other night, I go out in my yard, and there’s
the Wurster kid, looking up in the tree. I say, “What are
you looking for?” He says “I’m looking for my burrow owl.”
I say, “Jumping Jesus on a Pogo Stick. Everybody knows
the burrow owl lives. In a hole. In the ground. Why the hell do you think they call it a burrow owl, anyway?” Now Stuart, do you
think a kid like that is going to know what the queers are
doing to the soil? *
From “Stuart” by the Dead Milkmen
ratty - sorry, I don’t know much about California owls. I know Florida owls. Check North American Owls: Biology and Natrual History by Paul Johnsgard if you don’t already have a copy.
Could it be a barred owl? They tend to yammer and chat a lot, especially during a ‘duet’ (two chatting at once). To me it sounds like someone saying “OW!” deep in the throat and gargling at the same time.
The stench of which I spoke is your normal raptor smell. In an enclosed space, it’s very overwhelming and tends to make the kittycat a wee bit apprehensive, especially when the Great Horned Owl is looking at her as lunch. Second worst was having the Black Vulture vomit in the back seat of the car (I have two cars: one for every day, and one for rescues only (guess why!).
Love Burrowing Owls? Check my website: Bobby is just so darned cute and curious.
As far as intelligece, would it not be because the owl’s skull is so filled with eyes that there really isn’t a whole lotta room for gray matter? Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw once:
“Animal Testing is WRONG! The Animals Get Nervous and Just End Up Eating the Pencils.”
Aw, I was going to post that, Tamerlane!