From North Shore Times 14 APR 2011
http://north-shore-times.whereilive.com.au/news/story/fatal-brush-
with-an-owl/
FATAL BRUSH WITH OWL
THIS Powerful Owl has a message for brush turkeys who may harbour
dreams of taking over the North Shore - not in my backyard.
Mary Maloney was enjoying a quiet afternoon at her Pymble home on
March 17 when the tranquility was broken with the cries of distressed
native mynas.
“We live in a fairly bushy part of Pymble and there is remnant forest
and a creek in the backyard,” Ms Maloney said.
“The mynas usually get disturbed if there is anything unusual in the
trees and they were just absolutely frantic in the forest,” she said.
When she walked into her backyard she quickly saw why, spotting a
giant bird of prey nestled in a palm frond with the unfortunate,
already dead brush turkey clasped in its mighty talons.
Ms Maloney said it was the first time she had seen one with a
conquered brush turkey.
She found herself just below the owl, almost close enough to grab the
dangling turkey if she had wanted to, and estimated the owl was about
61cm in length.
Sensing a very rare photo opportunity she grabbed her camera and the
owl glanced in her direction with a perturbed expres- sion before
turning away and dismissing her. “He looked like he was thinking
‘what are you doing with that?’ But then just sort of majestically
turned his head around and looked away,” she said.
The owl stayed perched in her yard until sundown when it spread its
wings and flew off down the creek line with the dead turkey still in
its grip.
While the turkey is long gone, Ms Maloney has been left with enduring
memories from the close encounter.
Chris Charles
0412 911 184
33deg 47'30"S
151deg10'09"E
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