While I was out walking one day this week a couple stopped to say hello and told me that they had just seen an owl. They were nice enough to tell me approximately where they had seen it. I walked that way not expecting to see the owl. They usually fly off pretty quickly when they see people. I was delighted to find the owl still sitting there. It was a young owl, just fledged. I kept my distance, gave it space and took some photos.
I turned around to look to see whether I could see the parents. I imagine they were close by but there are a lot of trees around. I did happen to look to a nearby tree and saw another owl still in the tree. What a delight to see!
These are Great Horned Owls. I have see some around the lake before but not young ones.
Great Horned Owls are really lovely owls. They have tufts on their ears and bright yellow eyes. Usually I know one is around when the crows and blue jays are making a racket. I've seen crows harass an owl and it's not unusual! They are the heaviest of owls in the US and the second largest. They have a really big appetite and are opportunistic hunters.
I was thinking that seeing them was just a one-off thing and they would be off hiding somewhere else in the vast woods, but I managed to see them again.
I am hoping to see more of them. They really are such beautiful birds.
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