Friday, October 4, 2013

owls as highly sensitive input receivers


Here are two cool videos, both of 'em show off the owl's weirdly hyper-specilized physiology.

A wonderful 4-minutes of wildlife film-making featuring a Great Gray Owl. The narrator describes the highly attuned senses of this amazing creature.

As I proceed forward with my owl research, I am speculating that it's these extremely focused senses that allow the owl to see things that we can't, things that might be in the realm of the paranormal.
______________________________________________________


One more cool video. This shows the weird head stability of an owl. It looks as if there the owl is wearing a snug zippered body covering. This would have been a fun job for the seamstress. Alas, this 45 second clip is silent, it seems in need of Benny Hill music. 
______________________________________________________

And this too:


______________________________________________________

If you've made it this far, you should read THIS!
______________________________________________________

6 comments:

Brizdaz (Darren) said...

I love the almost Valis PKD pink lighting effects in that first owl video,plus the description of the owls face as a satellite dish makes to even move slanted to outer space/sci-fi terminology.Great clip.

Brizdaz (Darren) said...

Oops !
That should read "makes it even more slanted...' in my above comment.
I need to wake up more.

Red Pill Junkie said...

Talk about a biological gyrOWLscope! ;)

tinyjunco said...

here's a link for you:

http://tinyurl.com/qjl2pde

it's images of Barn Owl Ears. They are positioned right at the edge of the extraordinarily prominent facial discs, one side lower than the eye and the other side higher than the eye. It's easiest to see on the skulls.

Needless to say, this gives them phenomenally accurate hearing when it comes to spatial positioning. I read a Seientific American article decades ago where they blindfolded (blacked out ping pong ball halves, a million and one uses for these things!) barn owls and let them hunt a released mouse in a black out barn.

They did 100 runs, let's just say no live mice after the experiment :( looks like the eyes are basically extra insurance for hunting in these guys. (Of course they need their eyes for all types of other functions.)

Okay, just got a very nice little synch here. I just searched google for 'falconry supplies' re: "This would have been a fun job for the seamstress." (I've sewn for 35+ years and have a little experience handling hawks and owls. I'm certain they have plenty of specialty tools and machines to make their job easier and more reliable.)

There's a long tradition of falconry, and falconers use many objects which are custom-sewn for their individual birds, as well as off the shelf pieces like very very rugged gloves with rings for attaching the jesses, etc.

What is the first non-sponsored result on the google page?

Mike's Falconry Supplies.
http://www.mikesfalconry.com/

link to ggole page:
http://tinyurl.com/q9ep4y9

Some really gorgeous birds on Mike's home page! I shouldn't be surprised - the trickster is visiting our neighborhood, a coyote with a bushy red flamed tail. Happy Day All! steph

Mike Clelland! said...

reply to Steph...

Hey, I looked up that article and gleaned a bunch of great stuff from it.

Also, I could tell the authors of the owl script (in the link above) used it too. A few things were word for word.

Mike C

tinyjunco said...

Hi Mike! i'm so glad you looked up the article and enjoyed it - it's stuck in my head all this time, i read it when it was first published on 'paper' in a format called a 'magazine' ;) i just knew that you would get a lot out of it.

I just ow left another comment on owls - my first birding teacher was a God Among Owlers, he would lead owling trips at nite which were legendary (and yes i got to go on one!). Among birders, some become 'owl people' who have and or develop the knack of finding these birds - it has much to do with attuning yourself to a different pace, a different way of looking at life.

Owls are also associated with the elders, with those who are concerned with passing on that which is important in the cultural teachings not just to their own children but selflessly to whoever needs them. When studying with people in the american indian traditions, i knew full grown men who not only would not touch an owl feather, they would not even look at it straight on. The owl medicine is meant for people who are the adults and teachers at the whole community level, and who teach those things which people will need when everyday mundane things pass away, when owl comes for them for a short visit or for good.

i hope this all doesn't sound too corny-mystical-woowoo for you! But i've felt quite strongly, from the first time i heard any of your owl stories (it was the one where you're camping with the lady you want to put the moves on and she starts talking about what god means) a couple of years ago - owl is saying, not for you the typical householder, daddy and mommy and 2.5 kids with 9-5 job. Look up here where we are, flying silently and majestically among the galaxies - come be with us Mike!

Not as easy to say 'yes' to such a call as many would think. But, as you have found, not as easy to say 'no', either. :) You are saying 'yes' more and more these days, writing a public blog as you do is saying 'es' with every post and interview.

Obviously these matters go much deeper and wider, but i cannot tell you how strongly i have always felt that this call is right there in the heart of it.

But then, i'm just some housemouse lady writing on the internets ;) Hope you find this helpful, take care, steph

p.s. lady coyotl just passed by to say 'hi'