Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

Great Horned Owls Update

Year 10

Fuzz Ball is doing fine. Here is a PRIVATE video (link). It does NOT show up on my YouTube channel and will be deleted by Monday.  Thanks for everyone’s support. Molly and I cheered when I watched the trailcam video and confirmed feeding was occurring. The signs were obvious, but it was still extremely nice to see the actual evidence.

These five photographs of Mom were taken this morning. She is in the “protect and attack” mode. Crows can be relied upon to attack every morning around sunrise (5:27 am). I waited patiently watching for 15 minutes knowing that eventually she would attack. However, the images really took months to set up:

  1. First I hiked after sundown last winter in the deep snow listening to the hoot
  2. Eventually I found the nest on March 8th
  3. I monitored the nest for months, learning behaviors and figuring out favorite perches
  4. I used that knowledge to take a photograph

Fuzz Ball is Doing Fine!

Year 10, ,

The Great Horned Owlet I rescued two nights ago is doing fine. Even after last night’s 37F low temperature, the little owl is still very alert and tracking well. Getting the youngster back up into the nest tree was difficult, but the right action. Given the bird was still so very young, it was not able to branch, climb or make short flights. After an assessment that there were no injuries, some assistance was required. It is also obvious that the parents are definitely feeding the owlet at night. There is lots of poop present!

Here are three images of the owlet’s family from over the past two days. In the first photo its sibling seems to be wondering … where is Fuzz Ball? While in the second and third pics Momma Owl stands guard (sunset and sunrise pics). Crow attacks are common.

The other owlet

Sunset Guard Duty

Sunrise Guard Duty

While I have not had much time to get anywhere else birding as Fuzz Ball has been my focus, three days ago I made a quick trip up to Sax-Zim Bog (Gray Jay / Canada Jay), and I found a Common Merganser couple had moved into Lester River now that the current has slowed way down.