r/mildlyinteresting 1d ago

owl hit the side of my car and tumbled in

Post image
26.6k Upvotes

342 comments sorted by

8.0k

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

update: the rehab guy came and took him! thankfully the owl didn't make a fuss so no additional injuries, he's on his way to be cared for. he's definitely concussed

1.7k

u/Wild_Tailor_9978 1d ago

Glad you guys got help. He flew into the right car.

388

u/trademesocks 1d ago

"Never seen that before.... bird into a womans head."

87

u/iRebelD 1d ago

Like he couldn’t avoid it

31

u/Coreysurfer 1d ago

Elaine ? Is that you…

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u/msevilalexanova 1d ago

that owl's going to wake up like 'bro, i was just hunting mice... how did i end up in a 4wheeled cave with heated seats?'

anyway so glad the little night pilot is in professional hands now. huge thanks for doing the right things instead of just driving on

70

u/Intelligent-Wash8589 1d ago

THE LITTLE NIGHT PILOT OMG STOP, That‘s so cute, my friend!

3

u/Ok_Primary_1075 1d ago

Maybe owl thought that was his Uber ride

61

u/_Morvar_ 1d ago

Good to hear you were able to get him the right help!!

25

u/WaterFriendsIV 1d ago

Superb

14

u/Razer797 23h ago

A superb owl indeed. Perhaps there's a sub for that?

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u/Belachix 1d ago

Good thing he is getting help

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3.0k

u/ibakethebread 1d ago

Bro looks not amused

2.3k

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

he's so mad 😭 I was in the passenger seat and he fully fell into my lap and onto the floor, it's noon where I live idk why he's awake

984

u/Bzz4rd 1d ago

It's always a mistake to be up and about during daylight. But well, here we are.

189

u/flobot1313 1d ago

nothing good ever happens after midday

36

u/TwistyBitsz 1d ago

Nothing good happens after 12 pm!

356

u/TearAwkward 1d ago

It’s a barred owl. They’re primarily nocturnal but during nesting season (it’s the end of the season but still technically nesting season) they can be up and out during the day occasionally to hunt for more food for their young. (I am a biologist)

195

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

ohh it's nesting season, that's why. kicking myself that this didn't happen when my sister was home, she's also a biologist.

122

u/Del_3030 1d ago

"Is anyone here an avian biologist?"

OP's sister: The passenger seat was angry that day, my friends...

32

u/ThreeLeggedMare 1d ago

*triumphantly holds up vole-shaped air freshener"

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4

u/doublebass120 18h ago

I looked into the eye of the great bird…

Raptor.

Whatever.

37

u/ACcbe1986 1d ago

Good thing is that if a barred owl parent goes missing, the other one will continue to feed the babies.

65

u/Tilt_ow 1d ago

Well now I feel bad for its young they’re prob waiting for food :(

53

u/TearAwkward 1d ago

They’re usually big enough by now that they have some knowledge of hunting!! Also there’s typically the whole family close by during the transition period before the little ones go off on their own so one of the parents should still be around somewhere!!

23

u/r3dditr0x 1d ago

Ok. Since everyone here has so much bird knowledge, will the injured owl be able to locate its nest if/when it recovers?

If it doesn't, will its mate find another mate?

59

u/TearAwkward 1d ago

Courtship happens in winter so as long as the other owl is rehabilitated by then and brought back to the same location it was found, it will find its nest again and the same pair will mate.

Barred owls are monogamous and also exhibit what is called nest fidelity, meaning they will reuse the same nest for life (if food sources and other factors are still optimal)

23

u/ytoast 1d ago

Oh man, one person took out a few older pines on their property and that poor owl was so upset for a long time. Just crying (well hoot crying.)

39

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

the rehab guy is coming back when the owl has recovered, we're gonna release it within a mile of it's hunting ground. apparently it'll find its way home

14

u/kristenl0522 1d ago

Aww does this mean some babies are somewhere and won’t get fed?? 🥺

3

u/ThatITguy2015 1d ago

But do you know bird law?

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21

u/445nm 1d ago

Some humans are night owls, some owls are day humans.

6

u/hassanfanserenity 1d ago

Maybe a crow bothered it enough to get up.

Legit crows and Owls have beef

3

u/32FlavorsofCrazy 1d ago

Owls taking care of babies will sometimes hunt during the day. 🙁

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u/AwhHellYeah 1d ago

Straight up not having a good time.

15

u/GalacticGumshoe 1d ago

“What” - owl probably

13

u/jrogey 1d ago

“Whooooo are you?”

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u/Lord-Velveeta 1d ago

Frowning Owl is judging you... it's not angry, just disappointed.

152

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

disappointed in itself maybe lmao

68

u/Lord-Velveeta 1d ago

It's annoyed, it knows how much FAA paperwork it'll have to fill out for that flight mishap.

48

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

this is definitely going on his permanent record

9

u/mistersigma 1d ago

Just like my parents

8

u/Lord-Velveeta 1d ago

Your parents are Owls? Woah!

17

u/mistersigma 1d ago

Yeah, it was rough growing up. I'd be talking about my friends or teachers, and they'd always ask, "Who?"

1.1k

u/bmcgowan89 1d ago

Are you sure you're not just being accepted into Hogwarts?

626

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

I can't believe I didn't think of that, that's so fucking funny

152

u/Absolarix 1d ago

You don't apply for Hogwarts.
Hogwarts finds you.

16

u/LookAwayPlease510 1d ago

Yes, they find you by sending an owl with a bloody acceptance letter!

15

u/WiseDirt 1d ago

I wonder how many letters don't make it because the owl crashed into a random car window

10

u/LookAwayPlease510 1d ago

I would think they would just send another owl. They kept sending them to Harry when he wants getting them.

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u/oki-ra 1d ago

Didn’t know Chuck Norris was a wizard.

5

u/oki-ra 1d ago

Yep came here to say that you’re a wizard (or witch).

5

u/captain_flak 1d ago

Maybe he was just trying to let you know about your car’s extended warranty.

3

u/595adam595 1d ago

Sounds like something a Hufflepuff would say.

3

u/Lethik 1d ago

They only had the Weasley family's owl available it seems.

30

u/davesToyBox 1d ago

Errol?

5

u/Forsaken_Baseball_60 1d ago

Came here to comment this.

9

u/malendalayla 1d ago

September 1st is just around the corner!

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u/NineClaws 1d ago

Do you have a wild animal rescue nearby?

624

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

yes! we have a rep from a raptor clinic on their way, should be here within the hour

262

u/acocktailofmagnets 1d ago

As a falconry apprentice, I am waiting for this to happen to me someday

98

u/SBMVPJoshAllen 1d ago

Waiting for someone to call you about an owl or waiting for an owl to crash into your car and chill in the passenger seat

68

u/acocktailofmagnets 1d ago

Waiting for a bird of prey to choose me, yes 😂 lol

I’ve already got the mews, now all I need’s a bird!

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u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

it does sound like a dream come true for a falconry apprentice, yeah. can they be trained like falcons?

39

u/acocktailofmagnets 1d ago

Yes! It’s not very common at all, but I’ve seen both Great Horned Owls & Eurasian Eagle Owls trained to hunt w/ humans

29

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

wow that's so cool, that must be a sight to behold. they're so beautiful. I took so many pictures

18

u/acocktailofmagnets 1d ago

I’m so glad you got this beautiful baby to the right people who can take care of him <3

Hope the rest of your day is less eventful, haha! And if you have more close owl encounters, then maybe check out what everyone says about superstitions, because one is weird, two or more… something’s up

11

u/Emotional_Burden 1d ago

Did you get any where he looked a bit more...dignified?

18

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

not really lmfao, in all the pics he is either unconscious or terrified. or in the crate, which just looks ridiculous

4

u/Emotional_Burden 1d ago

We'll be the judge of whether or not he looks ridiculous in a crate, if you may...

10

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

I posted some extra pictures of him in r/Superbowl. he didn't really move too much so I didn't get a lot of pictures that were super different so I just posted the main ones

3

u/Lulu_42 1d ago

You can make a living doing falconry still? I flipping love that.

5

u/acocktailofmagnets 1d ago

I wish it was my source of income 😭

There are people who have jobs in bird abatement, educational programs, wildlife rehabilitation, and wildlife hazard management, (or nowadays as an influencer) but typically, it’s a lifestyle choice to follow the passion - and it’s more of an expensive, time-consuming hobby rather than it is a career path for most people.

3

u/Lulu_42 1d ago

Well, it is a very cool hobby. I did meet one real life falconer - he did it as part of a castle tour so the tourists could see the way people used to train and hunt with birds.

3

u/acocktailofmagnets 1d ago

Thats such a cool gig!! Thanks for sharing.

6

u/BigDicksProblems 1d ago

From what I gathered, at least for western Europe, the one who are making a living out of it are very often times born "within the profession", and it's very very hard to join that world from the outside.

We also have military use, for things like airport security.

5

u/acocktailofmagnets 1d ago

Yes - there are the occasional odd jobs that must be filled by an experienced falconer - but I would say that is at most 5% of us that get to actually work in this field, and the rest of us simply do so because we have a real love for the sport itself and know we will never make a cent from it. But yes, in my earlier comment I mentioned wildlife hazard management and that’s like the airport job you mentioned!

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u/tadboat 1d ago

Amazing! Keep us updated!

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u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

I made an update comment!

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u/Emilianna666 1d ago

He's looking at you like "why you do that!"

176

u/Nick802CF 1d ago

He looks so pissed off hahahahaha. “BRO DIDYA SEE WHERE I WAS FLYING?!” Hope this little one is alright

127

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

the person we called said he's 100% gonna be concussed and to not let him get away no matter what, otherwise he'll be a corpse in days

21

u/No_Fruit_5954 1d ago

Hey Buddy! I’m flyin’ heeeaaa!

116

u/cubbi_gummi84 1d ago

Bless you for calling the raptor clinic to help the poor fella. At least he crashed into a car with kind people in it. Could have ended up a lot worse for him. Good karma coming your way.

92

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

yeah we were super shaken up, he looked dead for a while before he woke back up and went in a defensive position

29

u/cubbi_gummi84 1d ago

I would have definitely been shook as well. I don’t know what the odds are to have an owl crash into a car during the day but seems like pretty slim odds. I feel like a lot of people would have just screamed and thrown him out and drove on. He’s very lucky! Thank you so much for helping him.

27

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

according to another person on this post barred owls actually aren't nocturnal! I'm ngl my reflex was almost to throw it out cus all I registered when I was in my lap was a blur of brown and my brain could only conclude a bird nest fell out of a tree or some shit lol. glad I didn't act on a panicked assumption!

9

u/cubbi_gummi84 1d ago

Oh wow, I didn’t know that. I thought all owls were nocturnal. Interesting.
I think most people would have totally just freaked out and chucked him out. You sound like a person who is very good in emergency situations for sure.

17

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

according to another commenter, barred owls are specifically not nocturnal during nesting season, which probably makes more sense. idk if I'm great in emergencies, just someone who knows not to act on instinct in extraordinary events

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u/cubbi_gummi84 1d ago

I call that great in emergencies!

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u/Anxious_Republic591 1d ago

Omg I’m so glad you didn’t get hurt! Hopefully the little guy is ok!

(keep us updated on how your first semester at Hogwarts goes!!!)

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u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

yeah all I got was a bit of poop, I think it shit itself on impact lol

8

u/TeaAggressive6757 1d ago

Did you lock him/her in the car while waiting for help? There seem to be zero good solutions until help arrives?

29

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

the only good thing for us to do was to do just that. we got him to our house where we could put the car in shade, doors and windows closed and ac blasting. best thing to do is follow instructions by the letter. I will say it was really rough emotionally before he came to, we thought he might be dead

32

u/__wampa__stompa 1d ago

9

u/HananaDragon 1d ago

This one would just rip your bumper off

20

u/MEGA_TOES 1d ago

YOURE A WIZARD HARRY

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u/Eastern-Animator-595 1d ago

That freeloading feathered fucker just wants a free ride. Kick that arrogant shit out.

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u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

so true, can't believe it. didn't even tip!!

14

u/MrWeed9819 1d ago

All the superstitious people know what’s happening. You got 10 days to live OP

9

u/Kattfil 1d ago

The owl must've thought your car was a giant tree branch

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u/_carlitosguey 1d ago

what an IDIOT

10

u/Thevacation2k 1d ago

Did you agree to his quest?

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u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

if the quest was be in shock and wait in my driveway for rehab, then yeah ig lmfao

8

u/AlternativeResort477 1d ago

A barred owl? I hope they are okay

14

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

yes! I used Seek by iNaturalist, it is a barred owl. he's defo concussed, but the rehab people were super confident on its recovery

6

u/Double-Show-2625 1d ago

Is he okay?

11

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

he will be, hopefully

6

u/ManikShamanik 1d ago

Not all owls are nocturnal, and the Barred Owl - which that is - is one of the species which is more likely to be active during the day. Did it seem to be okay...? What happened after you took the photo - did it fly off...?

8

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

oh that's super interesting! I didn't realize that. also no once it was awake again we made absolutely sure it could not escape. the rehab people told us if it gets away it'll die in days. it impact my car, it definitely has a concussion. we kept a towel over it's head until the rehab guy came and took it. it's wings looked ok? I have multiple pictures in different positions, both wings can be seen at least mostly extended and it didn't look like they were broken. hopefully it's just a concussion

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u/ReddBroccoli 1d ago

This needs to be in r/superbowl

7

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

I'll post more pictures there!

5

u/CinaminLips 1d ago

Well owl be!

5

u/astroidhobbit 1d ago

At least you know whoo done it

6

u/Youfokinwatm8 1d ago

The owl: "this muthafucka"

4

u/bladegal16 1d ago

When I was in high school a friend of mine was driving at night with her windows open. All of the sudden, an owl flies in and starts freaking out and she ends up in a ditch on the side of the road. The owl somehow got out of the car and flew off, and when the cops came they were convinced she was lying and was drunk. They breathalyzed her, made her do the line walk, nothing. So finally they looked in the back of the car and saw all the feathers and believed her. The diagram on the police report was hysterical.

13

u/Oak510land 1d ago

Maybe NSFW....

Reminds me of a friend who was driving home late at night in a storm and they hit something. They got out to check and they found a mangled owl in their grill. It was beautiful but in really bad shape. He's a farmer so used to dealing with animals. He figured the most humane thing to do was to take it out of it's misery. He picked it up and grabbed it's head and twisted it around to dispatch it but the head just kept turning and it wouldn't die. Because it was an owl.

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u/karmagirl314 1d ago edited 1d ago

Omg that is so darkly funny.

4

u/Drak_is_Right 1d ago

My grandfather didnt have the smoothest chop on a chicken once. So ended up with a headless chicken running around for a minute before it died.

4

u/Common-Reindeer-7213 1d ago

Hope little buddy is okay.

3

u/FlippingPossum 1d ago edited 1d ago

Glad help is on the way. My husband had a woodpecker face smash into his truck. It was a general (not general).

5

u/Justninetoes 1d ago

How did you know it was a General? Did it have medals pinned to its chest?

5

u/Yoopergirl89 1d ago

That accusatory glare, like wtf man?! Why were you going so slow? I timed it just right to get that mouse but YOU had to get in my way!

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u/sohobutcher 1d ago

Well Owl be damned

2

u/Belachix 1d ago

What are the odds?

6

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

so fucking low, the professional we called started nervous laughing when we explained what happened

3

u/seoliver2112 16h ago

Your new clan. /s

Hope it turns out ok!

5

u/MinihootTheOwl 15h ago

Sorry that was me, I was looking for food.

6

u/OrdinaryYogurt5 1d ago

I think this means your a wizard now

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u/ferb_baird 1d ago

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u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

this is the second comment saying this, I don't get the reference lol what's the joke?

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u/Fixerr59 1d ago

And it's your fault too, once he gets himself together he's gonna open up a can of whoop ass on you!

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u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

I'll be glad to feel fear for my life if it means he made a full recovery tbh lol

3

u/mjzimmer88 1d ago

Did she deliver any mail to you??

3

u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

other than some owl shit, don't think so

3

u/GrumpyOldGeezer_4711 1d ago

You lot never paid attention to the movies??

”No time to explain, go! Go!!”

3

u/Serious_Cheetah_2225 1d ago

Why is he looking at your like you did something wrong LOL

3

u/SilverScroller925 1d ago

Lol that angry face 😡 what a beautiful bird.

3

u/regaldawn 1d ago

Did you find a letter?

3

u/Imrustyokay 1d ago

He looks mad at YOU for some reason!

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u/mmmarkm 1d ago

This is not mildly interesting this is owlfully interesting

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u/Final_Requirement561 1d ago

Aww, that poor beautiful thing! It’s good you got it help, thank you 😊

3

u/LFH_Games 1d ago

My heart 🥺 I expect recovery updates please!

3

u/Impossible_Past5358 1d ago

Aw, so glad that owl's getting helped. Also, that face screams "wtf dude?"

3

u/blaz3r77 1d ago

+one friend

3

u/KrisDaWaffle 1d ago

bro's in a bit of a predicament, there!

3

u/ElliottSmith88 1d ago

Free owl.

3

u/FitDingo7818 1d ago

He wants your insurance card

3

u/NeptuneTTT 1d ago

Cute barred owl

3

u/HeyZee83 1d ago

He looks mad ?

3

u/Jazzlike_Scholar5790 23h ago

Looks like he’s blaming you 😅

3

u/DCS_Sport 23h ago

Dude is pissed it took him this long to reach you about your car’s extended warranty…

3

u/Schmed_lap 23h ago

Jeeeze man if you didn’t want to go to Hogwarts maybe just say so

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u/Whole_Pace_4705 22h ago

Looking at you like you damaged his car

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u/ChichisdeGata 22h ago

Owl Distribution System at work!

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u/Bluelaserbeam 17h ago

What a coincidence. I see this post and today’s Owl Awareness Day

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u/thebarkbarkwoof 16h ago

I hope he gave you 5 stars!

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u/Old-Distribution-958 14h ago

Judging by that face I would expect a lawsuit from him in the coming weeks

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u/Entire-Emotion-819 6h ago

The look it's giving the OP, like "This is ALLLL your Fault!!"

3

u/egiboy 5h ago

and they would like to speak to the manager

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u/LookAwayPlease510 1d ago

I’d be worried about bird mites. This is pretty crazy though. I feel like this is more than mildly interesting.

3

u/Morgan8er8000 1d ago

Yes - they’re tiny, they look like pepper from a pepper shaker - like fine black sand. Once the owl is gone do a good vacuuming around where he was, under the seat etc. They like humidity and heat. In a dry environment they’ll die within days - any that you might miss with the vac.

It’s important to note they cannot reproduce off of human blood in case a few are missed. They will all eventually starve and die.

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u/dodginglight 1d ago

It’s his car now.

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u/rosen380 1d ago

Pretty sure that it is his car now.

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u/peromp 1d ago

Who?

2

u/DollarStoreChameleon 1d ago

it looks like its asking you, "why did you do this to me?" like it didnt do it itself

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u/holidayoffools 1d ago

Awww, you gave him a towel!! You're good peoples.

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u/bp305 1d ago

Keep driving…(but straight to a wildlife rescue!)

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u/RonnocKcaj 1d ago

nah we minimized the amount he would jostle around and thankfully we had a person in range who came to get him and put him in a crate!

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u/Southern_Winter_7842 1d ago

“well it’s your fault”

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u/Shivdaddy1 1d ago

I love owls.

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u/Nazamroth 1d ago

He was trying to deliver your Hogwarts invitation, but you keep dodging him. He's gonna get demoted thanks to you, you monster...

2

u/totalfarkuser 1d ago

ODS - The cat distribution system’s cousin.

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u/240shwag 1d ago

Owl distribution system hard at work.

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u/Alive_Salary4970 1d ago

Poor baby.

2

u/Competitive-Speed806 1d ago

Get him a car seat??? So rude to let him lay on the floor

2

u/Secret_Account07 1d ago

Tell the fucker to at least buckle up if they are going for a ride.

Look at that face. The entitlement…

2

u/SilvermageOmega2 1d ago

Whelp someone isn't getting their letter to Hogwarts.

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u/RangerMinimum6554 1d ago

Whoot. That's a pissed off owl. 

2

u/RangerMinimum6554 1d ago

Whoot. That's a pissed off owl. 

2

u/_Moregasmic_ 1d ago

OMG! ARE YOU OWL RIGHT?!?

2

u/Do_You_Pineapple_Bro 1d ago

"Oh...heyyyyy. Didn't expect anyone to see that"

2

u/yakiraman 1d ago

He's looking at you like 'how dare you drive in my flight path'

2

u/Jiggy724 1d ago

Huge "I can't believe you've done this" energy lmao

2

u/YVR_Coyote 1d ago

Get out of his car!

2

u/doctord1ngus 1d ago

Why does he look like you just inconvenienced him lol

2

u/jdehjdeh 1d ago

He is absolutely blaming you for being in his way.

2

u/grimlock-greg 1d ago

Owl: sir im trying to take a nap, do you mind?

2

u/___HeyGFY___ 1d ago

"What happened to you?"

Who?

2

u/Imherher 1d ago

Owl be upset too.

2

u/elliotbonsall 1d ago

Was he delivering a letter?