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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Owls

110 replies

TwitTwooTwat · 02/04/2025 02:06

I have owl rage, and I need to let it all owl-t. AIBU to dislike owls and their twit-twoo hooting fuckery?

I know I might ruffle some feathers with this opinion, but a owl has moved nearby and every night I can hear it making less than whootiful night noises. It’s being antisoci-owl. Probably trying to attract a mate. The only time we don’t hear it, is when it rains as it is, ahem, too-wet-to-woo.

Local FB page weirdos say they love hearing it, but how I can I get the feathery fuckwit to go Hoo-dini without it turning into a Hoot-dunnit? I don’t want someone to talon me. Anyone know any owlchemy?

OP posts:

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Original poster

TwitTwooTwat · 06/04/2025 01:53

ThinWomansBrain · 06/04/2025 01:36

After the giraffe thread, I thought you'd be asking about the best way to take one for a walk.
At least it's not a peacock; my sister had one that took a liking to her former home.

as well as being noisy, it was violent- tried to attack my cat & BiL rescued her by brandishing a spade. A few weeks later it tried to attack their rather large dog. Mysteriously disappeared after the dog incident. Didn't do the thatched roof much good either.

And it's not a Harris Hawk, like the one that's been attacking people in a Hertfordshire village Flamstead hawk finally captured after terrorising village - BBC News

So it could be worse😀

Hmm. Howoooo would you take an owl for a walk? It’s pesky twisty neck thing would play havoc with a harness At least parrots sit on your shoulder if you want to go for a walk.

OP posts:

BlackeyedSusan · 06/04/2025 01:51

Mating calls. Wouldn't be a problem if it was raining as it would be t'wet t'woo!

ThinWomansBrain · 06/04/2025 01:36

After the giraffe thread, I thought you'd be asking about the best way to take one for a walk.
At least it's not a peacock; my sister had one that took a liking to her former home.

as well as being noisy, it was violent- tried to attack my cat & BiL rescued her by brandishing a spade. A few weeks later it tried to attack their rather large dog. Mysteriously disappeared after the dog incident. Didn't do the thatched roof much good either.

And it's not a Harris Hawk, like the one that's been attacking people in a Hertfordshire village Flamstead hawk finally captured after terrorising village - BBC News

So it could be worse😀

A close up of the hawk sitting on a glove on Steve's hand. Its face is seen from the side with a curved, sharp beak that is yellow and silver. It has a brown eye.

Flamstead hawk finally captured after terrorising village

A resident says he was able to humanely catch the hawk, which has attacked an estimated 50 people.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clywdlyv4p3o

Original poster

TwitTwooTwat · 06/04/2025 01:25

APATEKPHILLIPEWATCH · 06/04/2025 01:15

I’m not an owl fan. Once had a stand off with one on a one track country road. It was enormous, like the size of large dog, and it wouldn’t move, just stared at us for ages. Creepiest thing I’ve ever seen. Stubborn little fucker

Edited

If that happens again, tell it about the Gruffalo’s favourite food being owl ice cream. Feathers and all.

I am thinking about ordering a cardboard cut out Gruffalo to scare them away to somewhere they can appreciated but a MNer.

OP posts:

APATEKPHILLIPEWATCH · 06/04/2025 01:15

Original poster

TwitTwooTwat · 06/04/2025 01:11

JustMeHello · 03/04/2025 18:21

The only wildlife I'm not thrilled to hear are fucking peacocks. We used to have a neighbour with peacocks and omg they were noisy buggers.

I stayed on a campsite once that had peacocks. Never again!

Also, those who have wood pigeons, have you noticed they say, “my toes hurt, Betty”?

OP posts:

JustMeHello · 03/04/2025 18:21

The only wildlife I'm not thrilled to hear are fucking peacocks. We used to have a neighbour with peacocks and omg they were noisy buggers.

HRTQueen · 03/04/2025 15:21

My opinion of them changed after I was once stalked by a psychopathic owl while driving down a country lane in the middle of the night

The owl was circling me and three times it swooped down and its claws scrapped my window screen, not sure what type of it was but it was massive

I could have driven into a tree this was obviously the owls intention

Maitri108 · 03/04/2025 15:09

ErrolTheDragon · 03/04/2025 15:06

Mention of Hedwig upthread reminded me I once heard an interview from someone who trains birds for films including iirc the Harry Potters. He liked working with corvids because they’re so bright but less so with owls which weren’t. Maybe they are twits not twats.

Ravens can talk and are very intelligent. You can follow the Raven master on Twitter and the ravens pester him to stroke their heads and nip him affectionately.

Talking about owls. My friend was on a dusk walk and came across some baby owls who flapped their wings and hissed to scare her away.

ErrolTheDragon · 03/04/2025 15:06

irishbloodenglishparts · 03/04/2025 11:26

We have a resident tawny owl and I love hearing it!

JaninaDuszejko · 03/04/2025 11:14

Much as it should be nice to hear nature at times it can be very annoying. We rented a gorgeous villa in Greece and the field next door had deer which were beautiful and friendly. Except it was October and there was a stag there who was noisily letting all the ladies know he was in the mood ALL NIGHT LONG.

I get rage at all the local garden birds who sing before the sun gets up, 23 hours a day I love hearing them, 4am to 5am I hate the fuckers.

Fatrosrhun · 03/04/2025 11:06

We’re surrounded by owls too, so I know what you mean! And by the time they’ve shut up the bloody birds are revving up their dawn chorus! I love spring but the noise drives me mad!

TheTecknician · 03/04/2025 11:01

I sometimes hear the tawnies at night. I still find the ghostly noises a little eerie even into middle age. However, I want to see a parakeet, or several parakeets. Apparently there are colonies less than two miles from my home but they so far seem unwilling to move further east!

JamesWebbSpaceTelescope · 03/04/2025 09:38

Just wait until you can hear the baby owls as well! They sounds like dog squeaky toys and do go on all night as the beg for food.

(I love it - but suspect you won’t)

Hermyknee · 03/04/2025 09:33

I have one of those who sits on my chimney. I am sure he pokes his head down to amplify the noise to scare me. I always thought it was a male Tawny. Hooooooo oooooo

RumNotRun · 03/04/2025 09:33

I do like owls but they have ridiculously long legs.

Laiste · 03/04/2025 09:28

Or maybe it's the male tawooo'ing and we don't have a female to tawit? Or we can't hear that cos she's too far away.

But it's not a 2 syllable tawoo, it's def the 5 syllable hoo h h h hooo.

I sound raving mad 😂

Laiste · 03/04/2025 09:24

So, we have them having hoot offs at the back (where our bedroom is) sometimes. I like it.

Question though: We have one which goes Hoooo, (short pause) h'h'h hooooo. From the same spot. Which one is that?

It's not a tawit - tawooo, or the screech of a barn owl, we get those too and they're easy to distinguish. This one's a definite hooooo. (pause) h' h' h' hoooooo. It's quite deep.

Stickthatupyourdojo · 03/04/2025 09:04

I’m really jealous. Send them my way please.

TheDevilWearPrimarni · 03/04/2025 08:16

My DDad had a tawny owl living in his garden. We used to see it often sitting in a tree and it used to wake me up at night with its calls.
One afternoon about 4pm, on a walk, we saw an owl flying low over a field, hunting. It was a truly magical sight. It was only about 4ft 9ff he ground.

Ellmau · 03/04/2025 07:53

The top right hand ones look like aliens.

Maybe alien spottings are all from people who saw a baby owl while drunk.

GarlicSmile · 03/04/2025 02:46

Saisong · 02/04/2025 08:54

We've got an Owl this year who is hooting during the day, it sounds so sad 😞

On a lighter note, this is the baby that hung around our garden last year

Aww, owlets, they're so cute ...

(ETA they're so cute, the anti-sleaze AI seems to have decided they're too much for your tender eyes 🤣 Hope they're available by the time you all get up for breakfast!)