4/19 – Last night we had bad Thunderstorms with rain and winds gusting to 49 mph. It’s still raining this morning and I will probably not get any photos, but I’ve decided to check out the nest anyway to make sure it hasn’t been blown away or sustained damage.
At first I see no activity from the nest and am fearful that the storm last night has caused havoc with our owl family. Then I spot Mamma who is sitting on her favorite branch above the nest, but is so well camouflaged that I could not see her with the naked eye.
Can you see Mamma? This photo is greatly magnified. With the naked eye she was all but invisible.
Something is different this morning. While I am fiddling with my binoculars my peripheral vision catches an adult flying in from another tree and landing on Mom’s favorite perch.
Had Mom flown off while my attention was elsewhere? Was this dad and had this been a changing of the guard while I was otherwise occupied—or is this Mom encouraging the babies to venture out of the nest? The adult sat there perched over the nest, for a while, then flew off into a neighboring tree.
There is much wing flapping going on in the nest this morning, and I am not sure if they are trying out their wing coordination, or just attempting to dry off their feathers after last night’s drenching.
Before leaving today I look for pellets under the tree, but find none. Possibly they are getting caught on the dense tree growth between the ground and the nest. I estimate the nest is 60-80 feet high. So far I have only found one pellet.
Owl pellets are the indigestible parts of an owl's mean--such as fur, bones, feathers, etc., which are coughed up similar to a hairball
Unfortunately for me the homeowners are excellent groundskeepers and are conscientious about keeping the Sweetgum balls picked up.
4/20 – Last night we again had rain, hail, and high winds with severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings all around the area – didn’t get to the nest until the afternoon – will it still be there after last night? The babies appear to be none the worse for wear. Mom is watching from a nearby tree. I now believe she’s encouraging them to venture from the nest onto the branches of the pine tree.
Check back again soon for more Tales From the Nest
Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer
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