Watching Owls

I spent my teen years living near a wet land – “the swamp”. I often headed out, armed with my Mom’s old Brownie Hawkeye camera to take black and white pictures. I kept those pictures of old split-rail fences winding through the woods and various animal prints I found in the snow. That little camera was great (and I still have it stashed away in my boxes). It was not suited for taking wildlife photos: but it was a start.

yawning…really disgorging a pellet…

The Red-tails had been nesting in the swamp for a couple of seasons, but one spring the nest was occupied by some Great Horned Owls. I found the nest by following the screeching: three young owlets demanding food.  I could just see the downy white chicks with my binoculars.  I checked on them periodically but going to school certainly hampered my owl-watching time.

Adult Great Horned Owl just returned from its early morning hunting.

I took the pictures that I have included here in Kamloops. There were three young in this brood too, but they hatched in a Ponderosa Pine nesting cavity. The owlets dozed the day away in the same tree, peering at those of us watching them from the ground. They followed their parents around that evening and were back in the same tree the next day.

I hear the distinctive “hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo” call of the Great Horned Owls where I live now but I have yet to find a nesting site near my current home.  I will keep looking for owls and hopefully I will get a chance to see downy owlets again.

watching

All photos and writing in this blog copyright J.A. Siderius, 2013