Over the past week I have worked at relocating “Hoot” … the oldest of the Great Horned Owls, and the subject of my upcoming children’s book. Three mornings over the past seven days at sunrise (5:15 am) I have briefly seen my friend. This morning I got up even earlier and was hiking by 4:50 am. I was rewarded with brief sightings of all three triplets.
Given the less than perfect light for photography before sunrise, I did not try and get close to the owls early this morning. Instead, at 8:30 am I hiked back to the thicket of trees where I believe at least some of the owls might be spending the day. Jackpot! Better yet, as long as I moved very, very slowly, Hoot was willing to put up with my presence and allowed me to get close. I have learned the combination of slow movement AND not stepping on a single twig makes a HUGE difference. If I step on a branch / twig and it makes a sound my owl friends will almost always spook and fly away. Given the undergrowth is quite thick and it is difficult to see the ground, this can be a tricky process.
Regardless … I present Hoot, the Great Horned Owl juvenile. This owl is about one week past three months old. You can still see a tiny bit of down in the close-ups.
Hoot Close-Ups
Hoot … the Movie (video link for email subscribers)
More Hoot Photographs. During the entire 30 minutes I was with Hoot, my Great Horned Owl friend never spooked. I was only 40 yards from the bird, and when I left it was still on the same perch!
