FI-1039224 Athena and the Owl ...

Friday, March 11, 2011: a new owl postcard from Keijo (Finland), showing the Greek goddess Athens and a small (little) owl which most probably should have been Athene noctua. But Athene noctua has no such ears...

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, crafts, justice and skill.

Snowy Owl (private swap)

Last Thursday I also received a wonderful Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca) postcard from Ruxandra (Canada).

The Snowy Owl, which nests in the tundra in northern Québec, is the province’s avian emblem. Unlike other owls, it hunts both day and night during the Arctic summer and lives mainly on lemmings. Black stripes and spots dot the plumage of young birds, while old males may be snowy white.
The National Assembly chose the Snowy Owl as Québec’s official avian emblem in 1987. In doing so, it took part in a major national movement to enhance the quality of the environment and save wild species.

About postcard: Fotomania Editions, Marcoux Y, Printed in Canada.

AU-124239 Southern Boobook Owl

On March 10, 2011 I received a beautiful homemade postcard with the Southern Boobook Owl (Ninox novaeseelandiae) from Joan (Australia).

The Southern Boobook feeds on insects, small mammals (such as the House Mouse, Mus musculus) and other small animal species. Feeding takes place mostly at night but some afternoon and morning activity may occur, especially on dull days. Most prey is detected by listening and watching from a suitable tall perch. Once detected, flying prey, such as moths and small bats, are seized in mid-air, while ground-dwelling prey animals are pounced upon. - http://birdsinbackyards.net

FI-1026440 Boreal Owl

 A new owl postcard in my mailbox today: Boreal or Tengmalm's Owl (Aegolius funereus), from Tarja (Finland).

Voice: Alarm call a snapping "tsiuck". Territorial song of male 1-2 second long rising utterance of 5-9 separate repeated notes "huhuhuhuhu".

 About postcard: Tomin Kuva Oy, www.tominkuva.fi; photo by Hannu Siitonen.

LT-115719 Moomin Owl

Last Friday I received my first Moomin card from Jurga (Lithuania). With a cute little owl watching from the tree :)

The Moomins are the central characters in a series of books and a comic strip by Swedish-Finn illustrator and writer Tove Jansson. They are a family of trolls who are white and roundish, with large snouts that make them resemble hippopotamuses.

About postcard:  Moomin Characters, www.karto.fi

Tawny Frogmouth (private swap)

As I said in the previous post, today I was very happy. I also received a second postcard for my collection, from Heather (Australia). She previously sent to me an official postcrossing card with Tyto alba. Today I received from her four cute Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides).

Tawny Frogmouth is not really an owl, but it looks like an owl :) According to Wiki, Tawny Frogmouths and owls both have anisodactyl feet - meaning that one toe is facing backwards and the other three face forwards. However, owls’ feet are much stronger than the feet of the Tawny Frogmouth as owls use their feet to catch their prey. Owls are also able to swing one of their toes around to the back (with a unique flexible joint) to get a better grip on their prey. Tawny Frogmouths have fairly weak feet as they use their beaks to catch their prey. Owls eat small mammals, like mice and rats, so their bones are shorter and stronger than those of Tawny Frogmouths which usually hunt smaller prey. Tawny Frogmouths typically wait for their prey to come to them, instead of hunting on the wing much like owls.

About postcard: Tawny Frogmouths in the Botanic Garden, Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth, Western Australia.

DE-847475 Little Owls

Happy again! I found a wonderful postcard in my mailbox, with three baby Little Owls (Athene noctua) - Steinkauz in German, sent by Wilhelm (Germany).

Widespread in Europe, and long established after introduction in Great Britain, the Little Owl is small, chunky, flat-headed, and short-tailed. It can appear very round when perched out in the open by day, but may stretch upwards to look more elongated when alarmed. It hunts at dusk sometimes perches quite openly in daylight, often attracting the noisy attention of small birds. Its undulating flight may briefly recall a woodpecker or large thrush. In much of Europe, it lives in ruins and old barns with tiled roofs, or on hillsides with boulders and stones scattered over the slopes. Voice: Loud, musical, plaintive calls, rising keeeooo, sharper werro! short kip kip kip - Rob Hume, RSPB Birds of Britain and Europe, Dorling Kindersley, 2006, p.214.

About postcard: Atelier Schumann, 72731 Reutlingen; photo: Dietmar Nill.