A Dead Barn Owl

Not much to write about as I have been in Bangkok the last three days on a training course. Some sad news. Friday morning I saw an injured Barn Owl at 06:15 am near the bins (trash, garbage)  not far from our house.  Dark but I caught the owl in my headlights on the ground and it moved rapidly away when it became aware of my presence. I could see the owl couldn't fly and it headed into the scrub. I have never held an owl, wouldn't know how to and in fact all I know is it could hurt your hands and arms,  plus I  have nowhere to put it if I could have safely got it under my control. So I decided there was little I could do there and then other than leave it and hope. On return home I searched but couldn't find it and thought maybe it had managed to get away. Saturday morning I searched again but no sign but in the evening, on my return from Bangkok,  a dead owl was lying on the street and its carcass had been flattened by vehicles. I presume the soi dogs had got it and killed it. Maybe not. Maybe humans had killed it. The locals regard owls as harbingers of death and so owls are persecuted and the more common species such as the Barn Owl, can often be found in temples' grounds where the Buddhist mantra on not killing any life form applies. Maybe this owl had simply keeled over, tired and exhausted....  I was sad that I hadn't been able to do more for this bird. I also notice that our Red-collared Dove has abandoned its nest. I wonder what has happened. It's not always about appreciating the sublime beauty of these creatures...... I think I better get a cage and learn how to handle raptors and birds of prey.