Date:         Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:49:49 -0800
Reply-To:     Vicki Williams <masterweeder@yahoo.com>
Sender:       Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Vicki Williams <masterweeder@YAHOO.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Hello...
   Yesterday afternoon I watched a really unique incident. When I came out of the Target on Dallas Hwy at the East West Connector in Cobb County, I heard lots of squeaks and chips creating quite a fuss. It sounded like at least 30 little birds raising a ruckus so I looked in the pine trees to see if I could see what they were fussing about.
Usually I never can find the critter being fussed at but today I did find it, a Barred Owl.  I wasn't in any hurry to continue shopping so I just stood and watched and listened for a bit. There weren't any blue jays or crows, just chickadees, titmice, kin and nuthatches. Every now and then a bird would fly by the owl and land on a branch 2 feet away from the owl.
The owl never really paid any attention to any of the birds and only once kind of do "a raise its shoulders and put them down" thing.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a squirrel climbing the trunk of the tree the owl was in and I thought, you are going to get in trouble. The squirrel was staying on the backside of the trunk but kept going up it. Suddenly the owl twisted its head around (its face was now facing me) and peered intently at the tree trunk but the squirrel stayed out of sight. 
The owl relaxed and turned back around so its back was to the tree as before. The squirrel resumed climbing up the tree trunk. I said to myself (in reference to the squirrel), You are going to be sorry. Next thing I know, the squirrel LEAPED out off the trunk of the tree and hit the owl knocking it off its branch. The owl flew off and apparently the squirrel went to the ground. Within a minute there was a squirrel going up the backside of that tree again. As well, within 15 seconds or so of the owl being knocked off the branch, the little birds had quit squawking up a storm.
I've never seen such a crazy act from a squirrel before! And I've witnessed them do a lot of crazy stuff!
Vicki Williams, West Cobb County
Due West (Marietta)

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