'Dem Dry Bones' gonna rise again!

We've an owl in our habitat. We haven't seen it around, but it does rotate around roosting locations. We haven't seen the owl since Nov. 3rd. This was the photo. 

Just because we haven't seen or heard it, doesn't mean it has gone elsewhere. I keep looking for the white owl poop called 'mute.' I found some Dec. 16th!

For those inclined to be grossed out, I find that there is no smell. It is far less gross than cat or kid throw ups. It is just bones and fur, and have been through stomach acids. Owl digestion is interesting:

The first part is the stomach  (proventriculus), which produces enzymes, acids, and mucus that begin the process of digestion. 

The second part is the muscular stomach, called the ventriculus, or gizzard. It serves as a filter, holding back insolubles: bones, fur, teeth and feathers (more about this here).

It is best to dry the pellet first. It sat in a dish for a few days. Putting it on the heater, I'd forgotten where it was! (Don't tell the kids. We're not failing!) 

 It was massive. They are normally half this size. Previously I'd found 5 rodent skulls in 3 pellets (Jan., 2019), but this was a find.

I began picking it apart, after it dried out, using my reptile tweezers. The fur is amazingly compacted in the skulls, and around the bones. I could make a whole new vole out of it all! 

Look at the little teeth! It looks like three skulls.

That was the highlight of my day. Happily, we've critters on the cameras.

Coyotes from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

 I was working on a suet ball, but that didn't happen. I took the container down to the forest. The fisher quite liked it.

 

fisher Dec. 16 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Out front, I think this is a bat! They hibernate, but our temperatures have been upsy downsy.

 

a bat from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We had lunch in Smiths Falls, after having returned the sink drain to Rona. More on that later! I celebrated actually eating out, and getting out of the house.