UPDATE: I found where the pair had been sitting and hooting in the night! Their spots I'd found in summer, while they were nesting. Some owl poop underneath, no pellets. I don't think they found many mice.
Poppa owl |
It was a long day, Tuesday, Nov. 29th.
It's miserable out: slushy snow on the ground, rainy, and the temperature inversion makes the fog palpable.
The new carpet is installed, the sectional couch covers have been washed, and recovered. Hubby did Meals on Wheels. I sat with my client in the afternoon. More on this later. The place is a mess!
In the meantime, I stepped onto the back deck just before bedtime. The fog was heavy. You could see it wafting in the breeze. In the back 40 I could hear my owls. Two, at least. It was lovely. It was dark, too!
Momma owl in summer |
Fledged chick in July |
Daisy and I have been doing walkies, I've been out almost daily, and still I can't find them in the day. I'm sure they travel to the depths of the forest, where I can't find them.
Here they are from the summer, as I look back six months to June, 2016.
What a gift, watching our Barred owl having a bath in the wetland. He knew I was there, I've been watching him for more than a month. In the background you can hear the rose-breasted grosbeak, blue jay, grey tree frog, etc.! Just before he went for a swim, a chickadee was trying to talking him into taking off. I thought I heard the owl chick, but I'm not sure. The siren at about 2:00 startled him. He sat a long time grooming.
By July, the chicks had fledged and Momma was out hunting all day and night for food.
I haven't seen momma and chicks, she's still feeding them. First, she is calling, watching, while you can hear the chicks cheeping. Then the robin family started harassing her. Robins must have brood #2 nearby.