Flying Creatures of the Night

Forrest M. Mims III

While most of us are tucked into our beds dreaming away the night, there's plenty of activity going on in the natural world. Especially interesting are the flying creatures of the night.

Nighthawks can be heard squawking around our field most nights.

Bats arrived weeks ago, flying over our place each evening after sunset. They scoop up a substantial fraction of their body weight in insects before cruising back to the caves and bridges where they spend the days.

Owls are the largest of the night creatures in these parts. A particularly strong population of barred owls resides on and around our place on Geronimo Creek. They announce their presence with various "hoo-hoo-hoo" sequences. They can also make many other sounds.

Figure 1. This barred owl was resting on a tree at the Mims place in South Texas. Photograph by Forrest M. Mims III.

The barred owl is a large bird up to 20 inches long that is found throughout the eastern half of Texas. It has a large, roundish head and its feathers are decorated with brown splotches and stripes on a field of white. The underside of the bird has more white than the back and wings.

The barred owl's diet includes mice, rabbits, birds, snakes and crayfish. Among their enemies is the great horned owl, which is easily identified by the protruding feathery "ears" atop its head.

The edges of the wing feathers of owls are very soft, which allows them to fly silently through the night. Because of this and their curiosity, barred owls have sometimes surprised people by their sudden appearance.

Those folk who are afraid of owls might consider James Audubon's perspective on these silent creatures of the night:

"How often have I seen this nocturnal marauder [a barred owl] alight within a few yards of me ... and eye me in such a curious manner that, had it been reasonable to do so, I would gladly have invited him to walk in and join me in my repast, that I might have enjoyed the pleasure of forming a better acquaintance with him. The liveliness of his motions, joined to their oddness, have often made me think that his society would be at least as agreeable as that of many of the buffoons we meet with in the world."

Forrest M. Mims III and his science are featured online at www.forrestmims.org and www.sunandsky.org. Follow his science at twitter.com/fmims. "World of Science" columns are selected and sometimes revised from columns published in the San Antonio Express-News or the Seguin Gazette-Enterprise. The columns are intended for a general audience.

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The Citizen Scientist (05 June 2009).