Fascinating owl facts or, Eww, owl barf!

"Owl barf!" she triumphantly exclaimed, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. Mrs. Contreras's nineteen 3rd graders remained silent, staring wide eyes at the wound up ball of fur, muck and skeletons reminiscent of a Brillo pad. A small girl at the front of the group finally allowed a slow, drawn out, "Ewww." The rest giggled. The students, from Ventura's Rio Linda Elementary school, were visiting with Eleanor Osgood of the Los Angeles Audubon Society at one of the dozens of booths set up around Paramount Ranch. Owls, like most birds it seems, cannot chew their food, so, after eating, the indigestible parts, a la McDonald's, are eventually compacted into a little nugget that is later, well, barfed up. SOOOO the owl is happy. The Audubon Society reps are proud. And the 3rd graders are gleefully disgusted. El fin.