Nature is Metal

Talk about coming full circle You don t want to miss this leech s wild ride inside the Barred Owl nest box. There s only one thing we can say for sure: it sucks to be a leech. The leech (a parasitic worm that feeds by sucking the blood of hosts) was delivered to the nest box at some point in the night, and it eventually found its way to latch onto the eldest owlet s head. The leech detaches when the owlet shakes its head, leaving a bloody trail across the elder bird s feathers. It would crawl along the head and body of the owlet for another 45 minutes, until the youngest owlet eyes an easy meal. While taking its sibling for a ride, the young owlet plucks the blood sucker free from its head and sends it down the hatch. It s good to have a sibling to watch your back Stay tuned for another amazing year watching the Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owls. Watch live at for information, highlights, and a link to the outside view. Jim Carpenter, P