The other day at Wood Lake Nature Center, I wanted to get a photo of the young great horned owl in the nest. However, it was snoozin'. I went for a walk around the lake and when finished I came back to find the wee owly still a snoozin'. Just as I was putting the cap back on my scope, an old snag not too far away came crashing down. I watched in awe as it fell. I looked back to the nest and the young owl was standing straight up, having been started from the crash--even its fluffy excuses of ear tufts were trying to be erect.
After a couple of minutes, it hunkered down and stared...make that glared at me. I didn't cause it...really...it wasn't me. Okay, so I was thinking, "Wouldn't it be nice if some noise woke they owl baby up, but really, I didn't cause a whole snag to fall."
Geez, somebody get that bird some coffee, stat!
Speaking of the young owl, it is now in that brancher phase (young owl out of the nest) and will soon be flying. Here is a link to a photo taken by Derek Bakken today of the young owl walking in the tree and another of one of the parents chewing a feather it molted out. My cockatiel does that when he pulls out a tail feather or primary feather--just kind of chew it for a minute. I wonder if that's like kids who bite off a finger nail (or worse a toe nail) and chew it for a few minutes?
