littlebiddle Loc: Yakima Wa USA

I honked my horn and the crows left! I moved away from the nesting area so the male would take the food to the nest! I returned later and the female was finishing the feeding!

(Download)





Thats a mouthful!


Female finishing the feeding!

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

GREAT catch ! .......thanks for sharing

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Very nice series!

tcthome Loc: NJ

Great action!

Kevinfg Loc: Wilmington, NC

Wow, beautiful series!

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Excellent action work!

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

You got some good shots in this!!

Though not specifically involving owls, on multiple occasions over a span of multiple years, while doing agricultural field work, from the seat of a moving tractor I have had the privilege of observing competition, conniving behavior, harrassment, and food theft going on between ravens and ravens, and between ravens and hawks. Sometimes one-on-one, sometimes two or more against one, sometimes between two or more on each "team".
Sometimes the hawk(s) won and got the food, sometimes the raven(s) won.....pretty evenly divided with each "team" or catcher or challenger winning about half the time.

Some of the conflicts over the food were pretty brief, well under one minute. Some were much more interesting to observe, and played out over longer periods, up to 7, 8, 10, 13 minutes.

I'll not take time nor space to give full-length stories here, but will just say it is very, very interesting to observe the elaborate antics, schemes and maneuvers the birdbrained participants employ in both defending their catch and in stealing the prize from the one that originally had it. Sometimes, the prize is even lost and regained then lost again during the encounters.
And "team" is not a stretch of the imagination at all. There are times there is clear evidence of coordinated teamwork between those who make the original capture, and then coordinated teamwork between those who steal, or attempt to steal it.

It was always a real lesson, an intriguing one at that, to see the evidence of an ability at some level for those birdbrained creatures to devise and execute means to challenge and counter-challenge, both in attempts to steal and to thwart attempts to steal.
Sometimes, obvious teamwork even in the initial capture of the food was seen.

[None of the wild, winged creatures were ever physically injured in any of the events I witnessed (except during the rare times robbing the nest of the opponents was involved, carried out either by hawks or ravens.) In fact, physical contact was not a part of the usual events. Trying to outsmart, outmaneuver, out-intimidate the opponent(s) was always the method of behavior on display....and some of the teamwork schemes can rival the displays of teamwork seen carried out by humans.]

photophile Loc: Lakewood, Ohio, USA

I like that last image Dave.

jdtonkinson Loc: Red Wing, MN

Great action set, poor Owl

Mr. B Loc: eastern Connecticut

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

Nice set.

Jwshelton Loc: Denver,CO

Great series. Thanks for sharing!

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Great action series, Dave.

Flyerace Loc: Mt Pleasant, WI

Those nasty birds just like to steal the owl's food. Glad the owl was able to protect the food for his little ones.

Hereford Loc: Palm Coast, FL

Wonderful action series. Those darn Crows can be pesky opportunists.