Page 10 - Palm City Spotlight - November '23

Page 10, Palm City Spotlight

Book revIeW

What An Owl Knows: The New “After hundreds But unlike we humans, who can move our eyes left and
right with a limited degree of peripheral vision in order to
of hours of meticulous
Science Of The World’s Most observation, Bloem see what is happening on each side of us, an owl’s eyes
Enigmatic Birds managed to characterize are fixed facing forward. However, they make up for that
by being able to swivel their heads around in a way that
and describe fifteen
separate vocalizations: we cannot:
By Nils A. Shapiro six sorts of hoots, four “While it’s a myth that owls can rotate their heads from
Aut hor Je nni fe r types of chitters, and a starting point facing forward, some species, like Great
Ackerman could just as five kinds of squawks, Grays and Barn Owls, can turn their heads almost three
well have retitled her including an alarm quarters of the way around, 270 degrees – three times the
book What We Know squawk like an eerie twisting flexibility humans possess … that an owl’s neck can
About Owls, packed as it shriek. She also noted that move swiftly and smoothly through those 270 degrees of
is with many hundreds of the owls have nonvocal rotation is due to some clever adaptations, a loose S shape
fascinating facts about the communication. When that gives it flexibility, and a system of bones and blood
260 owl species to be found t he y ’re f e a rf ul or vessels that minimizes disruption of blood flow through the
throughout almost every agitated, they’ll hiss or neck to the eye and the brain when the head rotates.”
continent, from the tiny elf clack their bills.” And I haven’t even touched upon an owl’s vision, with
owl, the size of a pine cone Perhaps the major reason why owls are so popular its ultraviolet spectrum.
only a few inches high, to the massive Eurasian eagle- worldwide is their most instantly recognizable feature There is so much more here to enjoy, and from which
owl that can take down a deer – or Blakiston’s fish owl, as the only bird whose big round eyes face forward, like to learn. Plus 50 black-and-white photos and a section
the world’s biggest owl, the size of a fire hydrant with a ours, in the front of their faces. All other birds’ eyes are of full-color photos that add greatly in helping you to
6-foot wingspan! situated on the sides of their heads. identify different owl species.
The recipient of numerous awards and fellowships
and author of five earlier successful books – including
The Bird Way and national bestseller The Genius of Birds real estate
– Ackerman’s own awe and appreciation for the skills
and natural physical attributes that these extraordinary
creatures have evolved over the 100 million years since
they have existed on this planet is clear from first page Treasure Coast Real Estate There may also be a downside to switching Realtors.
to last. The following brief passages serve as examples, Potential buyers who have seen your property in person or on
some of the text has been omitted for lack of space here, Report the Internet may wonder why your property didn’t sell. Years
and been replaced by ellipses (…): ago, we used to purposely let a listing expire, and then relist
“With a head designed for listening … the flat, gray Home Or Condo Not Selling? Switching it as a “new!” listing. That doesn’t work anymore because
head disk of a Great Gray Owl is like one huge external Realtors Is Most Likely Not The Solution Internet sites all show total cumulative days on the market.
ear, a feathered satellite dish for collecting sound … The If you want to know why your property isn’t selling, ask
facial disk in owls that hunt primarily by sound is outlined By Jim Weix your existing Realtor for an honest opinion. Then don’t get
with a ruff of stiff interlocking feathers that capture sound As much as I love mad if you don’t like the answer.
waves and channel them toward the ears, like people getting a call from a seller If your property is not selling because it is overpriced,
cupping their hands around their ears. Feathers in the who wants to list with that is an easy fix. Remember, it is buyers, not you, that
back of the disk direct high-pitched sounds toward the me because their Realtor determine what your property is worth. If you happen to get
ears, so the owl hears less noise from its surroundings didn’t sell their home or an unsophisticated buyer who is willing to pay too much,
and can focus on prey cues. condo, I have found that the odds are that they will be getting financing, and the deal
“(The owl) can even change the shape of the disk by it is seldom their Realtor’s will fall apart when your property doesn’t appraise. In the
using muscles at the base of the feathers, shifting from fault that their property meantime, you may have missed real buyers.
a resting state to the alertness of an active hunt. It’s didn’t sell. In almost every If your property needs a lot of work or updating, factor
remarkable to watch an owl do this, adjust its facial disk case their property didn’t those costs into your asking price. Pretending that a 30-year-
when it hears something interesting. It’s like the disk itself sell because: old kitchen should not be a problem is not the answer. Nobody
is a kind of aperture, an ‘eye,’ that opens wide to let in 1. It is overpriced. wants a 30-year-old kitchen unless they are buying your
more sound and bounce it toward the ears.” 2. It needs a lot of work. property at the right price.
Note: The use of the term “ears,” in owls, even in such 3. It smells bad due to poor housekeeping, indoor smoking, Another thing to check is the pictures of your home in
species names as long-eared owls or short-eared owls, is or pets. the MLS and Internet. This is where 95 percent of potential
confusing. The actual ears used by owls for listening are However, even properties that need a lot of work or buyers first see your home. If the pictures show dirty towels,
vertical slits on the sides of their heads. smell bad will sell if the price is right for the condition of unmade beds, and cluttered rooms, then clean the place up
Owls are nocturnal, hunting at night for prey that the property. and have your Realtor take new pictures.
includes most commonly – depending on the owl species Market conditions right now are such that properties are If you truly think that it is your Realtor’s fault that your
and size – rodents, insects, mice, rabbits, squirrels, taking longer to sell, even though the inventory of existing property didn’t sell, then tell the new Realtor why you feel
possums, lemmings in the case of snowy owls, and other homes is low. If a property doesn’t sell during the listing that way.
small mammals and birds. Because of their incredible period, sellers often think that switching Realtors will help. Feel free to call me if you would like to discuss your
hearing, and the fact that the unique design of their wings Some even think that they are punishing their Realtor by not options. I can be reached at (772) 341-2941 or jimweix@
enables them to swoop down on prey in complete silence, extending the listing. jimweix.com.
they are among the natural world’s most efficient hunters. So what happens when you switch Realtors? Basically Jim Weix is a broker associate with The Keyes Company.
They do not even have to be able to see their prey in order nothing. Jim has 25 years of experience selling real estate full-time.
to be successful! Your new best friend Realtor places your home in the If you have questions or want the services of an experienced
“A Great Gray Owl is listening, always listening. Its same Multiple Listing Service. It is in the same Zillow, expert, you can reach Jim at (772) 341-2941 or jimweix@
head rotates to glean the source of a sound. Its ears are so Realtor.com, Redfin, and other Internet sites. jimweix.com.
acutely tuned, it can discern the faint footfall of a shrew
in the forest, the wingbeat of a Canada Jay, the muffled
rustle of a vole tunneling deep beneath the snow. It will
fly to the spot, hover over it, head facing down toward
the sound, then just before impact thrust its legs forward
and punch through snow more than a foot and a half deep
to seize its prey.”
But Ackerman has equal respect for the professional
scientists, students and volunteers who often dedicate
years of their lives under the most incredibly difficult Home • Auto • Boat • RV • Life
physical and stressful conditions worldwide, studying
every aspect of owls’ lives in order to build the base Flood • Business • Commercial
of knowledge that will help protect the survival of owl
species at a time when many are at risk of extinction due
to climate change and other human influences. Mary-Beth Zipsir
One chapter, Who Gives a Hoot, includes the Agent in Charge
experiences of researcher Karla Bloem, who devoted O: (772) 233-4444
an extensive amount of time studying variations in owl
language at just one site: www.smartchoicepartners.com
It’s our policy that you know yours
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