WEST SEATTLE BIRDS: Baby owl assisted at Lincoln Park

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | Wildlife

(Photos courtesy Kersti Muul)

That baby Barred Owl was in a bit of a predicament tonight at Lincoln Park. We got a text from someone who said the owlet seemed to have fallen out of its tree, and what should they do? We in turn texted local wildlife advocate Kersti Muul to ask her. She ended up heading to the park and helping the fuzzy little critter.

The folks who originally texted explained this followed a youth-baseball game:

The West Seattle Baseball team Husky Deli Pintos were walking back and a group of kids and parents spotted the owl and were amazed seeing the baby and the mama owl fending off the crows trying to harass them. We probably watched it all for 10 minutes. Thanks for connecting us to Kersti; she went right down and got the owl! She knew right where the nest was. What a neat and sweet West Seattle story!

Kersti tells us she’s hoping the owlet can be returned to its nest quickly.

Kersti Muul May 8, 2024 (10:16 pm)

This owlet is about 2 weeks or less from fledging. It is too young to be out of the nest. It fell straight down. Upon gross exam; it seems to be ok. Flapping wings, legs and talons are strong, strong bite. It’s feisty and this is all good. It clamped down on my gloves and resisted capture.Parents were communicating to it, and it was making contact calls back (snapping beak).I believe there is at least one other hatchling in the nest. I will transport it in the morning, and typically the plan is to get it back in the nest as soon as possible (barring an injury that would require rehab). Often makeshift nests are made and placed near the nest if renesting is difficult. The nest is very high and will require climbing or a bucket truck. I have been in touch with city arborists with a head’s up. Will know more tomorrow.Last year this pair lost one of their babies to a fall. It was only a week old and succumbed to injuries.For now, this little one is warm, and safely tucked away in a crate with one of my owl stuffies, which seemed to calm it down.I will update when I can. Thank you so much to the finder for reporting, and Tracy for letting me know!

Mary Beth May 9, 2024 (11:41 am)

I’m so happy that this year’s hatchling fared better than last year’s. Good luck and God bless you.
Katie Melton May 9, 2024 (2:21 pm)

Kersti, you are SUCH A ROCKSTAR!! You connect us with the beautiful nature we live amongst and I’ll be forever grateful. Love seeing this story!

Ly May 8, 2024 (10:19 pm)

It’s so cuuute. We heard a Barred Owl outside our window the other night. The most beautiful and haunting call. Thank you Kersti!

Kersti Muul May 8, 2024 (10:29 pm)

Trileigh May 9, 2024 (4:32 pm)

LOVE THIS so much! I’m so glad the baby’s all snuggled in his temporary safe home with a comforting buddy.

wseakell May 8, 2024 (10:53 pm)

Thank you to Kersti for the update on the owlet! I was the texter and part of the group that saw the baby owl on the ground by the tree. What a sight to see the mom protecting her baby from the crazy crows. The kids were in awe over it all. We’re so lucky to have Kersti and her expertise and love of these birds in our community – thank you for all you do! (And for sharing the adorable picture of the owlet with the owl stuffy!) Please let us know if the re-nesting goes well. So glad to hear there’s no apparent injuries! Stay in your nest this time little owl. <3

Wseattleite May 8, 2024 (10:58 pm)

Very cute, but I thought there was a push to rid Lincoln Park of invasive species?

Kersti Muul May 9, 2024 (6:44 am)

This is incorrect information and barred owls are still protected under the MBTA
- Scarlett May 9, 2024 (10:10 am)
  
  For the time being, yes, though the USFWS considers the Barred Owl an invasive species that is endangering native NW owl populations, including the Spotted Owl. As well as being a birder my entire life, I’ve done a fair amount of bird rehabilitation and have seen some this aggressive owl’s “handiwork,” so to speak.
- Evan May 9, 2024 (10:15 am)
  
  MBTA (migratory bird treaty act) means it is not legal to kill them without a take permit, but does not mean we should be rescuing them from natural selection.
  - Scarlett May 9, 2024 (11:51 am)
    
    Agreed. There is a controversial proposal to “cull” some half a million Barred Owls to save the Spotted Own in the NW and California, but tinkering with the eco-system – and natural selection – that has already incorporated the Barred Owl will probably not end well.
- heartless May 9, 2024 (12:02 pm)
  
  “This is incorrect information…”
  
  There is a push to get rid of the invasive Barred Owls in Washington, and for good reason.
  
  https://birdsconnectsea.org/2024/01/23/barred-owl-management/
  - Kersti Muul May 9, 2024 (1:53 pm)
    
    I have read the draft EIS, and proposals in their entirety, And have spent hours in position meetings. This isn’t new information to me. Furthermore, this doesn’t pertain to Lincoln Park which is what my comment says. Have a great weekend! 🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉🌞🌞🌞
    - heartless May 9, 2024 (2:05 pm)
      
      Oh, I think it’s relevant, but to each their own.
- John May 9, 2024 (2:01 pm)
  
  There may be some confusion over owls.
  It is somewhat similar to the squirrels we see in Lincoln Park.
  Neither are indigenous to Seattle area.
  Both arrived and thrived by displacing the original species.
  The Barr Owls have virtually eliminated the original Spotted Owl by taking over their territory and being more flexible in their feeding and habitat requirements.
  The chipmunks and Wester Gray Squirrels have been wiped out by introduced invasive Gray Eastern Squirrel.

John May 9, 2024 (2:16 am)

Well done as always Kersti! 💪🦉

anonyme May 9, 2024 (5:54 am)

Kersti Muul is such an incredible asset to our community. Thank you Kersti, for all that you do!

Wsgal May 9, 2024 (7:06 am)

Thank you, Kersti for all that you do!

waikikigirl May 9, 2024 (7:10 am)

We are so lucky to have Kersti in our area! I have gotten in touch with her numerous times over maybe silly little things and she has always helped by giving me info on what to do or not to do and never seemed bothered by my questions.Thank you Kersti and the WSB and keep us updated on this little one. 💜

WS4LIFE May 9, 2024 (7:29 am)

This sounds like the best possible outcome, so glad WSEAKELL reported it and Kersti was able to swoop in and handle the situation. Hoping the baby will be OK once returned to parents and thrive. Thanks Kersti, you are a gem 🙌.

Kersti Muul May 9, 2024 (9:43 am)

Baby is reunited with family! I put him back in the nest via the spider lift, with the help of Seattle Parks’ arborists. That was a fun adventure. There are two other babies in the nest, so three total. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that they stay put 🙄I’ll send some pictures later.

HS May 9, 2024 (11:52 am)

Wow. Super cool Kersti. Just super cool.
M the G May 10, 2024 (5:26 pm)

Bird on, sister!

KM May 9, 2024 (10:27 am)

Thanks for all you do for our local wildlife, Kersti!

Lincoln Park lover May 9, 2024 (12:31 pm)

Thank you Kersti! for taking care of the baby and reuniting with its family. Thanks for all the updates and pics too! 😍

WooHoo May 9, 2024 (1:23 pm)

Thank you Kersti! Very fast response! All your efforts helping our wildlife and educating our community are much appreciated.

John May 9, 2024 (2:20 pm)

It is remarkable how a different natural event can be viewed through such different perspectives depending on their cuteness.

Nature activists breathlessly report “predation events” while tracking/reporting on Orcas.

The Woodland Park Zoo explained away the duck-family/bear spectacle as realistic nature.

But when do we intercede?

The Orcas are feeding on baby seals that we also work so hard to protect when they are on our beaches. Save the seals!

In this case, the native crows were prevented from carrying out their indigenous and natural rights to feed.
It was their predation event.

Should we interfere and chase away an owl with a vole or eagle going for a rabbit?

Why do we view this episode so differently?

Kersti Muul May 9, 2024 (2:53 pm)

I can respond quickly – for now This wasn’t a predation event by crows. This hatchling fell from the. Neat. Crows are upset by the owls and they spend a lot of time harassing them, so having one of them out on the ground was upsetting to them and they were letting everyone know. Crows harass all of the raptors. And they also kill a ton of baby birds. Many of birds in the park kill each other…it’s nature But in this case the crows didn’t pull the baby from the nest. Would they kill it if they had the chance? Absolutely.

When we rehab seal pups, it’s because of human interaction.

The stranding Network watches over pups because, again, humans and dogs.

In my work I deal with the complex myriad of problems urban Wildlife faces because of humans. Directly, or indirectly
SlimJim May 9, 2024 (3:24 pm)

Because there is no such thing as perfect consistency. For example the question “Should we save John if he drives too fast and tips.over his car?” He may not be native to the PNW, but then again, maybe he is. Do we choose based on that criteria? Do we let natural selection remove fast drivers from the gene pool? I think most of us would say No.
- John May 9, 2024 (8:29 pm)
  
  Hey SLIMJIM,That is bit harsh and personal for such a weak non-analogy.
  You have somehow jumped from the animal kingdom to suggesting John deservedly meets their Darwinian demise by driving recklessly.
  
  I would posit that even my worst enemies would come to my aid, as I would theirs (even you,Slim Jim!).
  
  Being uniquely sentient as humans should allow unique compassion for others.
JDB May 9, 2024 (3:56 pm)

This is an interesting point, John. I think humans have significantly interfered in many predator species’ ability to naturally hunt, either due to developing their former habitats and/or farming/hunting away their natural prey. When we “save the seals” or help the salmon reproduce we are in turn helping the endangered Southern Resident orcas continue to live in our waters despite humans’ active participation in their endangerment. I’m just not convinced the impact is the same when helping crows…but I will yield to those with more knowledge than I.
- John May 9, 2024 (8:14 pm)
  
  JBD,
  I believe you are confusing the diet of the non resident orcas, seals and porpoises as affecting the Southern Residents diet of salmon.
  The Resident Orcas, seals and porpoises all feed on and compete for salmon.
  
  With that in mind, it would be best for the Resident Orcas if we didn’t “save the seals” and the non residents ate them and their competitors, the other marine mammals, to boost salmon availability for Resident Orcas.
  - JDB May 10, 2024 (8:35 am)
    
    No John, I’m not confused. Keeping a bunch of crows away from an owlet is not the same as all of the destruction we have done to cause the endangerment of orcas and marine life in general.

St Peter May 9, 2024 (3:45 pm)

Folks, Kersti is the one in charge of these wildlife decisions. Everyone else should focus on their day jobs, raise their kids, or defer to Kersti. I dont see Kersti walking into your offices telling you how to do your jobs. Please don’t do the equivalent/same to her. These amateur, armchair conservationists are the same people who became virologists during the pandemic and aquatic submersible vehicle experts when that billionaire’s sub exploded. I realize how hard is to read, listen, learn without projecting unqualified verbal hot takes but please do your best. Stay humble.

heartless May 9, 2024 (7:38 pm)

Yeah, sorry, but “Stay in your own lane, mind your own business, and don’t question authority” has never sat very well with me–nor with a lot of other folks in West Seattle.

So thank you kindly for your advice, but please don’t post on here again–stay humble, and maybe think a beat or two before you post unqualified non-verbal (this is a textual medium!) hot takes.
Evan May 9, 2024 (8:07 pm)

As an environmental biologist with a PhD, I don’t appreciate being told to defer to a community naturalist regarding protection of our community’s natural balance. Thanks, though.
- Jethro Marx May 10, 2024 (2:10 pm)
  
  Listen Evan, with yer fancy book-larnin’ and Doctoral degrees, this is the internet and we’d like you to be quiet while the influencers with lived experience and lots of followers tell us how the world works. I’m just glad the community stopped Seattle Parks from turning Lincoln Park into a cockfighting ring with that petition.
  Next up:
  Naturalists Hate It When Owls Use This One Weird Trick On Crows

WSCurmudgeon May 9, 2024 (4:26 pm)

Most of the misinterpretation in the comments stems from not understanding that USFWS proposes to remove barred owls from past spotted owl habitat, which they might “reclaim” if the barred owls were removed.

“The Guardian” has a good, short explanation of the proposed plan:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/06/kill-barred-owl-save-spotted-conservation

Scarlett May 9, 2024 (9:36 pm)

Yes, the plan is to reduce Barred Owl numbers to encourage the native Spotted Owl to repopulate in their old deep forest haunts. Though we don’t have Spotted Owl populations to worry around here, the apex Barred Owl with it’s tendency to high density and small territories can overwhelm, or dramatically change, an entire eco-system – not just Spotted Owls. (I and others have long argued that Barred Owls are the primary culprit for the demise of the Spotted Owl, not logging, but that’s a different tangent.)
https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/removal-barred-owls-slows-decline-iconic-spotted-owls-pacific-northwest-study-finds
- Jim May 10, 2024 (10:23 am)
  
  That is a proposal that has been considered but not necessarily adopted and it would be in a limited area and it’s more of a Band-Aid on a much larger problem

Scarlett May 9, 2024 (5:33 pm)

That cute hatchling will grow up to be a bold aggressive adult that predates on native owls, such as the Screech Owl, and occasionally taking a swing at humans walking by as many victims can attest to. It’s an invasive pest but it appears we are stuck with it.

TBH May 9, 2024 (11:29 pm)

I mean that describes humans too.
- Scarlett May 10, 2024 (1:17 pm)
  
  Hard to argue from what I’ve seen off Homo Sapien of late.
St Peter May 12, 2024 (11:22 pm)

You’ll survive, Scarlett

Denise May 9, 2024 (9:03 pm)

Thank you Kersti! You are amazing and a treasure for our community. Really great work.

As far as the people griping about someone saving a baby owl, I can only shake my head in disbelief. Rescuing a baby owl is perfectly fine legally, ethically, and ecologically. And this successful rescue brings people joy, and gives us all a chance to have a deeper connection to nature. Try appreciating a good thing, okay? You’ll be healthier and happier if you do.

John May 10, 2024 (2:58 pm)

Legally – removing an owl from its wild natural habitat? No.

Ethically- intervening with the natural process of two types of birds both protected by Migratory Bird Treaty Act. No.

Ecologically- two round trips to the rescue facility, trucking a scissor lift to Lincoln Park with two operators, arborist…that is quite the carbon footprint and cost to our parks. No.

Every animal in our Parks can’t be rescued and given such special treatment.

As others have commented, if the event had happened at other times without human intervention, nature would have taken its natural course with no ecological footprint.

1994 May 9, 2024 (9:19 pm)

If the baby owl had fallen out of the nest while it was dark, there is a good chance no human would have seen it on the ground. Some other creature would have had a meal. Maybe one of the other 2 baby owls in the nest pushed this one out of the nest? I am surprised Seattle Parks participated in assisting to place the owl back in the nest….nature happens, nothing new to the parks department.

waikikigirl May 10, 2024 (7:23 am)

I’m confused on some of these comments, Barred owl, invasive, not invasive, OK either or but it was a living defenseless helpless bird (animal) on the ground were people just supposed to walk on by and do or think nothing of it? I hope not and I’m glad there were people who had the heart and emotions to want to find help for this owl. Yes, again “it’s just a bird” but it is a living creature.Now if it was getting attacked by a crow or coyote EVERYONE would had been up in arms and saying why is so and so not doing anything about this.

flimflam May 10, 2024 (10:43 am)

I was thinking something similar. I shouldn’t be surprised but even a story about saving a baby owl can’t just be left alone as an interesting read….
John May 10, 2024 (3:23 pm)

The valid issue is what would waikigirl do with the same set of circumstances, but the crows have a vole or baby gray squirrel.

Would she have the same expectations as for the owl, i.e. that people should have the heart and emotions to rescue the vole and take it to the rescue station?
My guess is probably not.
But why?

Rob May 10, 2024 (11:39 am)

Where is man’s natural habitat?

Jenn May 16, 2024 (8:34 am)

Thanks again for taking the time to speak with me yesterday, Kersti. This is the baby owl I saw and I didn’t know there was a number to call otherwise, I would have. Next time I’ll be more prepared! :) thanks for helping the owls! I also tried signing up for the text alert for animal sightings but the group is full. I’ll keep an eye on it.

Sorry, comment time is over.