Owl attacks on hikers prompt warnings

Hikers and joggers are advised by rangers at St. Edward State Park to avoid trails at dawn and dusk after a mysterious attack by a great horned owl at the park last month.

A hiker was walking the South Canyon trail at the park in mid-October at dawn when the owl swooped down and attacked her, leaving 15 puncture wounds with its inch-and-a-half-long, needle-sharp talons. The hiker went to the hospital for a tetanus shot.

It was the second attack at the park in a month. Another hiker was divebombed by a barred owl the first week of October.

State Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Patricia Thompson says the attacks aren't unusual. Every fall for the past four years, her phone has rung with complaints of owl attacks in the Seattle area as well as on Vashon Island.

She speculates that the culprits are particularly aggressive juvenile owls learning to hunt.

Both species of owl are quite large, standing nearly 2 feet tall when mature, with a wing span that can reach 5 feet. Getting hit by one would be like being socked by a volleyball - with talons - Thompson said.

The owls' favorite target appears to be joggers, and the most vulnerable time is twilight or dawn, when they are most active. Officials have posted warning signs at all trailheads at St. Edward warning hikers not to use the trails at those times.

Some hikers are carrying heavy coats to shield themselves if necessary, or toting a big stick, says park ranger Heather Dennis.

But the attacks are probably over, Thompson says; the migratory birds are expected to move on soon.

The park is open from 8 a.m. to dusk. Hours and access are in no way restricted because of the owl attacks.

The 316-acre park is in Kenmore at the north end of Lake Washington. It has eight miles of hiker-biker trails, 3,000 feet of beachfront, and forests.

Park rangers can be reached at 425-823-2992 for more information.

Lynda V. Mapes' phone message number is 206-464-2736.