What is it?
You’re looking at something found on fence post today at Clark Lake. Jill Bentley took the photo of what is known as an “owl pellet”. In their nightly hunts, owls eat rodents and other small creatures. As they eat they don’t discriminate between what they can digest and what they can’t. According to sciencebob.com “an owl…cannot digest the fur, bones, teeth, feathers, and insect shells from that food. These ‘extra’ parts are formed into a tight PELLET inside the owl and are then are later SPIT UP by the owl.”
Not the most pleasant thing to contemplate, but it does explain this curious sight.
Owls definitely call Clark Lake home. Jill found the pellet today in the Eagle Point area. Diane Deming has photographed Clark Lake owls on the south shore of the east end. You can read several stories about this under Natural Encounters. This link will take you to the most recent owl story from this summer that includes a video.
That is so neat, Jill. I have always wanted to find an owl pellet, but have had no luck even though we have barred owls that nest in our back woods every year. I am sure some expert could tell what they eat by studying the bones. Thanks for sharing.