Tag: #HudsonValleyOwls

Straight Out of the Tree Hole

I think I know which tree hole the baby was in. I just was never there to see it stick its head out. So the first time I saw the owlet, it was after it had fledged.

Straight Out of the Tree Hole- The mother barred owl

The dad is traveling the woods hunting for dinner. The mom perches on a branch of a tree within eyesight watching her youngster. She is trying to encourage it and keep it safe.

Straight Out of the Tree Hole- Barred Owlet – This was high up in a tree.

It has rained a lot this spring and it has been very windy at times. It has reduced the number of times I have been out looking for owls. I see a lot of new downed trees in local woods. The night I took these it was cloudy and near sunset, so the conditions were very dark. Here’s hoping if you are experiencing a drought you get some rain, and if you are getting too much you get a reprieve. Happy Friday!

Short-Eared Owl on a Post

I decided to swing by the land I see these owls on before dark. It rained part of the day, but continued to look dark and dreary. The last two nights the owls only flew on the other end of the field. Tonight they flew closer. I was able to see them in flight, on a tree, and see one of the short-eared owls on a post.

Short-Eared Owl on a Post

The flight shots were grainy due to high ISO, but you cannot have everything.

Short-Eared Owl on a Post

I may try to go on the weekend, but luck has not been on my side on Saturdays or Sundays. The increase in the number of owl paparazzi on weekends keeps them at bay. Have a great weekend!

Short-Eared Owl Fly By

I went for a couple of hours to watch the short-eared owls again. This time from the viewing platform, which I usually stay away from. I was lucky they flew nearby, but not too close a few times.

Short-Eared Owl Fly By

They seemed to have come out earlier today than yesterday. It was before sunset started.

Short-Eared Owl Fly By

All pictures were taken with a zoom lens and are heavily cropped.

Short-Eared Owl Fly By -This one is checking us out.

Tonight they spent a lot of time flying to the trees on the edge of the property, which are beyond the trails. It looked like there may have between 8-11. I wonder if it is a gathering before they head back up to northern Canada or the Arctic.

Short-Eared Owl Fly By – Checking us out again

I am guessing they are just as curious at times about us as they do look in our direction. What do you think?

Short-Eared Owls on the Hunt

What do you do on a day off? Besides running some errands I also went to see how close the short-eared owls would come today.

Short-eared Owl on the hunt – fly by
Short-eared owls on the hunt
Short-Eared Owls on the hunt. – This one flew over a trail you allowed on.
Short-Eared Owl on the hunt

It helped that is was a sunny day and not too windy. They came out at around sunset, so we all had a little bit of time to photography them. They were closer than I had seen them from early December through the beginning of February on Sundays, but not too close. These are all taken with a zoom lens and are heavily cropped. Squeeze in some time with nature and wildlife on your days off. Have a great week!

Owlet is Catching Prey

The ongoing saga has been will the barred owlet catch prey on its own. I have witnessed it catching bugs on its own, but nothing else yet. I guess he has to start somewhere.

After the owlet caught a bug on its own, the parent came by and gave it another bug. I am wondering if these are cicadas?

After I saw the owlet catch a bug on his own, one of the parent owls came by and briefly dropped off another bug. The owlet is still making loud screeching sounds though, which will not help him trying to catch other prey such as chipmunks.

These pictures were right before sunset in the dark forest. They have a lot of noise in the photos.

Hopefully the owlet will be able to learn to not give itself away and catch prey that will keep him satisfied. Is that a cicada or beetle he is eating?

Last Owlet Standing

The last man standing is the last person to be left doing something. It appears the other two owlets are hunting on their own. You only hear this owlet screech and boy does it screech loud. The owlets seem to make that noise when they are hungry. Many times I see the parents come by after they have screeched for a time period with food. It is still relying on the parents to feed it, so it’s the last one relying on the parents a lot for food. The parents are still bringing by insects and small animals to feed it. I have been worrying it seems to be taking this one longer than the others to hunt.

The most detailed picture I think I have gotten yet. If you look above the ph in photography on the owl you will see a bug hitching a ride.
It was looking around a lot, which looks like it is interested in catching something. These owls are usually in darker areas of the woods.

It is flying tree to tree, so that is a good sign. What do you think? Is it a late bloomer that needs more time or could it have an issue?

Two Owlets

What is twice as nice as spotting an owlet in a tree hole? Finding out there are two owlets.

Second baby is in the hole.

The day after I spotted one in the hole, there was one high up in the same tree, and another one in the hole, so definitely two.

Baby owl power napping.

This is the one who was high up in the same tree with their nest hole. I suspect he climbed the tree, however I did see him flying branch to branch the next day.

Mother or Dad? I tried to make this one look like an old photo. The light was not great that day.

The mother owl usually flies down to a lower branch for a couple of minutes before flying back to a higher branch. I do not hear the “Who cooks for you?” sound people say barred owls usually make. She or he usually make half a who around the babies. I guess it is owl baby talk.

These two seemed to have left the nest quickly. I passed that tree two times every time I went there and prior to my last post I did not see an owlet peeking out. Would have wished for more days to see them at the tree hole, but I will take what I can get. Go slow and be aware when walking in the woods, you never know what you can miss.

Growing Older

The owlets are growing up. One can see more colouring like that of an adult great horned owl. It is interesting to have this opportunity to view these youngsters. Get out and enjoy nature. It’s a perfect way to social distance and get exercise at the same time.

The eyes of the owlet on the left appear a little off. Is it just me?
I wonder what they were talking about.
Watching me leave.
Singing a song or pleading for food?
Sleepy mom at one point was in the tree.
A very windy day and the branches were moving about. In this photo you can see the two owlets hunkering down.

Winking Owl, Stealth Owl

I had to stop by after work. The weather has not cooperated, but I can not do anything about that. No drama today. The crows did a fly by , but did not see the parent.

It looks like one owl was winking at me. I am sure it had something in his eye though. The parent tries to be stealth around the nest. It did not work today. It has no problem being photographed away from the nest.

Yes, one seemed to be winking at me. It had one eye closed for a few shots.
The owlets are starting to get feathers it appears and I see what appears to be ears more prominently.
Parent is trying to be stealth. It did not work too well at this moment.

Get out and enjoy nature. It is the perfect socially distant activity.

Great Horned Trouble

It was another dark and dreary day, but it was not hard to find this parent in the woods. Just heard a bunch of crows loudly complaining. Did he eat their friend? The crows parked on the branches above him and around the owl. They flew close to him and dropped sticks on him/her. The owl went after one of them. I could not see what happened. Not sure if he killed it or injured it. Some left after that and when the rain started the rest of the crows left. The owl mostly looked up and away from me, but these few times it looked towards my direction, usually when a crow was flying around him from my direction.

The parent was actually not far from the nest.

These were taken from quite a distance away and were greatly cropped. Stay safe and stay healthy!