Question for avid birders out there

[camerasnoop]

I drove down the Newell Highway to Melbourne around full moon earlier this month. There's a flat section around Jerilderie where in the past I've noticed barn owls sitting on the guideposts during the night. When I passed through about 60 kilometres from Jerilderie this time, during the day, I swear I saw a dead barn owl every ten or fifteen metres for a couple of kilometres. There would have been upwards of 60 or 70 of them. They all appeared to be fresh road-kill too. The crows were having a ball.

Does anyone know what was happening there? I gather that they swoop on the road as the lights from the traffic light up and scare the small animals. Maybe there are some truckies here who might know. There are mostly trucks moving on this highway at night, and I assume they'd account for most of the carnage in the owl population. When I was headed back the other way all that was left was their feathers - wings mostly.

[umajo]

that sounds about right its such a shame isnt it but i know they dart out so quick into the headlights after bugs

[camerasnoop]

Yes, I was surprised as I've travelled this highway many times and I've never seen anything like the numbers this time around. That has to make a huge impact on their numbers.

[ricstew]

I wonder if they were chasing the plentiful mouses

[Harves]

This time last year we were experiencing huge rainfalls, followed by a mouse plague and a locust plague like you wouldn't believe. Farmers have said they have seen their paddocks in the car lights literally moving with the huge quantities of mice. Now that the drought is over, and with no shortage of food, the wildlife have spent the last 12 months breeding like crazy while the conditions are ideal, even the owls. A friend of mine on the land mentioned a few weeks ago there were quite a few dead owls along the roads which he had never seen before. A shame really as they are quite nice birds.

[camerasnoop]

Sounds like you might be right Jan and Harves. They had to be chasing something. I'd forgotten about the mouse plague. Lots of mice will also mean lots of snakes.

[ricstew]

Theres certainly lots of snakes .......there have been quite a few sightings already even right in the towns centre...

[Duane Pipe]

Please slow down and watch for wild life sign would help Its a shame if that's the way they are dying

[camerasnoop]

It's a shame alright, but I don't know that there is anything that can be done about it unless someone comes up with a device that frightens the owls away from the road, like one of those roo whistle thingees. Do they work by the way?

[Duane Pipe]

Cant help with the whistle Snoop