Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 08:48:54 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Patty Craig Subject: Pellet ? MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Hi All, Yesterday I found a pellet on the ground near a bird feeder in my yard. It looked just like Northern Saw-whet Owl pellets that I have seen before - small, almost cylindrical and gray. It is mostly fur and bones, but does contain some small dark feathers. This does not seem unusual since juncoes are listed as one of its prey items. My question is: How can you distinguish a saw-whet owl's pellet from a screech-owl's or even a hawk's such as sharp-shinned? I think the hawk is unlikely since its prey is more birds and less mammals. Please correct me if I am wrong. And another question. Since screech-owls roost in cavities would its pellets more likely be inside the cavity or beneath the entrance or somewhere else entirely? Thank you, Patty Craig Dameron, MD pattycraig@mail.ameritel.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================