After the Fog & Rain: Owls Drying

Year 9

Well … yesterday it rained … and by nightfall the winds were blowing in off Lake Superior at 30 mph. Through the night I could hear the rain through the open window, and when I was semi-conscious this morning I could hear the fog horns of multiple lakers (looks a bit like and oil tanker ship, except it carries iron ore … we call them ore boats.) All the ships were steaming past the mouth of the Lester River near my home, and given the heavy fog … they had their fog horns blaring.

Thus, I know the owls would not be happy with the weather, and when the fog lifted a bit around 9 am I suspected I might find the owlets and Mom at the top of a tall white pine trying to dry off a bit. I was correct!

Mom Great Horned Owl (before joining her owlets)

Trying to Dry Off (and watching crows)

Bluebird Singing for this Rainy Day

Year 9

The wind is blowing in off Lake Superior this morning, and the ever present drizzle is back. However for a few days the wind blew lightly out of the south and the migrating bug eaters returned to the Northland. This is one of the latest northern migrations in my recent memory. For the past two days walking the ponds at the Lester Park Golf Course (closed at present) has yielded bluebirds!!! I am enjoying their song even more this Spring. Last year the number of bluebirds up north was down dramatically after a severe freeze in the south where the birds winter killed significant numbers of these songbirds. If you decide to walk the ponds, listen first to a recording a bluebird’s song. While walking follow your ear!

Eastern Bluebird (video link for a bluebird singing for email subscribers)

What with a post be without an owl update. Yesterday afternoon the poor owlets, which are lousy fliers / perches (i.e. they do not have the ability yet to land and bury themselves within a white pine or cedar tree), found themselves under constant crow attack from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Now that the flow on Amity Creek has calmed down a bit, I can hear the crows from my house. At one point I did hike over to owl land. Mom was not pleased with what was going on, and had this perch in the tallest white pine, but the crows were very careful to avoid her.

7 Days In the Life of the Owlets

Year 9

Seven days ago my owlets were best buddies … friends forever!

However the older of the twins decided to make its first flight four nights ago. This left the younger owl, which was born a few days after its older sibling “home alone”! It was not a nice experience for the youngest Great Horned Owlet. While Mom and Dad still delivered food, when the big spring storms hit there was noone  with which to cuddle up and stay warm. This was NOT enjoyable!

For Mom Great Horned Owl life actually became more difficult. She had youngsters now in two very different locations. The trees / perches she had used for the past month were now useless, for they did not provided the proper lines of sight to her youngsters. Not too surprisingly she often needed sleep (notice how the feathers on her eyelids even help camouflage the sleeping owl).

For the older owlet there was now a new forest to explore, but given weak flight muscles it does not fly far or often. In this series of images taken just before sunset last night the oldest owlet closely watches marauding crows. Thankfully, even though the owl’s perch is rather exposed, Mom took one for the team. She started hooting to attract the crow’s attention and then made a short flight to really get the black birds mad at her (and ignore her owlets).

Both owlets have now fledged, and the youngest has joined its older sibling in the world of flight. I am somewhat relieved to have the birds away from their nest. I was extremely careful in terms of not telling many friends the location of this year’s nest. The owl family were hiding in plain sight right above a major hiking trail, but thankfully to actually see the nest one had to enter the deep edge of the forest … which the hikers almost never do.

Learn more about the early life experiences of Great Horned Owlets via Cornell.