Category Archives: Year 7

Ignore Your Local Owls!

Year 7

Ignoring you local owls! Yup, this morning at 5:15 am right from my own driveway I could hear one of my Great Horned Owl juveniles begging for food. It was tempting to go check out my triplets, but I was dedicated if I was  going to reach Sax-Zim Bog early (I live 35 miles from the Bog), I needed to ignore my local friends!

I was rewarded when I found this Great Gray Owl at 6:30 am. I watched the owl hunt for ten minutes. I assume it has owlets near by which are getting large, and have HUGE appetites. I suspect it takes a whole lot of voles to feed these hungry mouths. Late May and June tend to be a great time to go look for owls if you are willing to get up before sunrise. The owls will hunt past daybreak because of their chick’s.

It was  great morning in the Bog. From a very close vantage point, I saw a Timber Wolf, a male Northern Harrier and an American Bittern. I saw lots of other wildlife, but these were “the treats”.

Great Gray Owl Hunting

Great Blue Heron Chicks

Year 7

The chicks are starting to hatch at the Canosia State Wildlife Preserve rookery (and the mosquitoes and flies). Yesterday morning after visiting with my owls, I hiked into the rookery. Most of the nests are still being incubated, but a few have chicks. I’ll have to visit again in about seven days.

Family Portraits

A Flock of Chicks! (video link for email subscribers)

Great Horned Owlet Graduation

Year 7

As of this morning, my Great Horned Owl chicks have graduated and are officially juveniles. For the first time since they were born in mid March, my owlets have left the nesting area (Elvis has left the building!). Up until this morning, I was always able to find my friends within 250 yards of their nesting tree. This morning I discovered this owlet almost 1/2 mile distant. However, just like humans … my juveniles may be hunting on their own, but Mom and Dad are still helping. Here is some information from the Cornell School of Ornithology:

Do The Parents Look After The Young Owlets After They Leave The Nest?

Fledglings remain in close company for several weeks, thereafter in loose association. They often roost together in the same tree in the immediate vicinity. Adults generally roost away from the young, who react to the sight of the adults with begging calls and flights towards the adults. Fledged owls remain with parents throughout most of the summer and may be seen begging for food into October, four to five months after leaving the nest.

Thus, if this summer is similar to last year when I watching this pair of Great Horned Owls raise twins, with some hard work and significant hikes I should be able to find my owls at least through June. This morning it took me over an hour of hiking, and I was assisted by some local crows towards the end of my search. Even when I knew the area in which to look, it took me ten minutes to find this owl. There are a lot of trees in the forest!

Great Horned Owl Graduation Photos

Also seen in the Amity Woods … Scarlet! (This bird is a male pileated woodpecker. You can see its scarlet mustache and the crest is red from front to back. A female would not have the mustache, and does not have a full red crest)