I think this is the sort of crap that Great Horned Owls have to put up with, and they get used to it. I suspect that what you saw is probably the pattern. Every day some crow "discovers" the owl, still in the same place on its nest, and raises the alarm, just as it would for an owl roosting in a new spot every day. All the other crows join in for awhile, so the whole crow community is aware of its presence, and the younger crows learn, "We don't like these guys." When they're satisfied and bored with lack of reaction from the owl on the nest, they move on. The owl sighs, reminds itself to eat some of those bastards come nightfall, and continues incubating, brooding, or guarding its young.
--Dave Nutter
Yesterday morning I observed about 50 crows mobbing a Great Horned Owl on a nest. It made me wonder if the crows could make the owl abandon the nest with repeated harassment, or if they would just give up after a while. I had an appointment so I couldn't stick around too long, but did watch this behavior for over 20 minutes non-stop. The owl was still on the nest today.
Any thoughts on this?
Mona Bearor So. Glens Falls, NY--Cayugabirds-L List Info:Archives:Please submit your observations to eBird!--
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