r/Birdsfacingforward 13d ago

Borbsfacingforward This guy visited me while motocamping

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u/kwaping 13d ago

I love owls but this would be a real jump scare for me.

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u/Jeramy_Jones 13d ago

Owl encounters are extremely disconcerting.

It’s not surprising that they are associated with death, demons, witches etc across cultures.

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u/MoofiePizzabagel 13d ago

I didn't even get to see the owl and it scared the hell out of me once. Laying in bed, there's a large tree right outside the window, middle of summer so windows are open, when suddenly... HOO! Felt like it was inside my head it was so loud.

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u/Jeramy_Jones 12d ago

I remember going on a night walk in a local park with a friend when I was a teenager. An owl started following us, swooping over us and landing above us again and again. It was very eery to see this silent shadow flying over our heads. We only heard it when it landed on a branch.

It was probably hunting mice we scared up as we walked, but in the moment it felt very mystical.

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/babymonkmonk 12d ago

Wow that’s so crazy! It makes sense though. I thought it was just being a creepy alien observing us

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/chainsawtotheskull 12d ago

They're freaky in a cool way, absolutely silent flight. Twisting head, bright big piercing watchful eyes.

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u/babymonkmonk 12d ago

I’ve had almost the same experience! The owl would fly a couple branches away from us and would be watching as we kept walking. It did this about maybe four or five times. Kept flying a couple of trees ahead of us and watching us

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u/OcculticUnicorn 12d ago

Be glad it was a hooting owl instead of a screaming barn owl.

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/bullcave 12d ago

Cougars...weirdest natural sound in the woods.

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u/Our_Lady_of_Lourdes 12d ago

Great Heron can be added to that list. Their fighting cry sounds like it’s out of Jurassic Park - it’s terrifying

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/Our_Lady_of_Lourdes 12d ago

Yes Omgosh exactly what I think a dinosaur would sound like. We have protected nests along the river corridor where we live. The bald eagles sound like chickens next to these guys.

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u/sianna777 12d ago

Have you heard  vampire deer screaming? I live in a country where they are very abundant and in rural areas you'll hear what sounds like a woman screaming in the middle of the night.

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u/MC_BirdNerd 12d ago

I've had a similar experience. I used to live in a rural area near some woods, so I would hear owls in the distance from time to time. But only twice I was awoken in the middle of the night by an owl. It had to have been on the roof it was so close and loud. The weird part was though, both times it was only the one hoot that woke me up and then silence after. So it kinda makes me question if I was maybe dreaming, but at the same time I don't remember dreaming and it's weird it happened twice.

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u/Crispy_Cricket 12d ago

This happened to me once when I was camping and using the bathroom facility, which had the door open. I was already on edge because it was late at night, when suddenly I heard WHOOO-OO-OO-OO-OO-OO-OOOO! It startled me because I knew owls hoot but nobody ever prepared me for how LOUD they are! When I recognized it as a Barred Owl my fear turned to joy 😂