Photo: Kim Tunnicliffe (WBZ NewsRadio)
MEDFIELD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — When Kenneth Wadness of Medfield went out on his nightly run on Noon Hill Monday, he did not expect a barred owl to swoop in and attack him.
"Bang, right on the back of my head at full force, which almost did a little bit of a whiplash kind of thing," Wadness said. "His talons went right into the back of my head. I’m just stunned, standing there."
Wadness suffered gashes on his head. Seconds before the owl attacked him, the bird attempted to snatch his dog Micah, who accompanied Wadness on his run.
"All of a sudden, this swoosh right down below my elbow towards my knee, swooping over Micah," Wadness said.
After the attack, Wadness learned it is nesting season for the owls, who can become territorial and aggressive if they feel threatened.
"Barred owls, they have their babies in December and January," said Wadness. "So they are staking out their territory for their nest."
Despite the injuries, Wadness still runs on Noon Hill at night, albeit on a slightly different path than usual thanks to his feathered foe.
"[The owl] let me know that’s his territory and there are ways in which I can circumnavigate a run around that area," Wadness said.
WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports.
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