Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

3 Days … 6 Unique Owl Individuals … 3 Species!

Year 11,

The past three days had quite the run in terms of finding owls … all the more amazing that the weather for the first two days were HORRIBLE (downpours and 40 mph wind gusts). However, these poor owls which normally never hunt much past sunrise for much of the year, must have owlets near by which mean they must hunt no matter the weather. There is zero reason for the the Great Gray Owls to be out hunting till 11:00 am in horrible downpours and winds.

MAKE certain you watch the video of the Great Gray Owl hunting. It was 11:00 am, almost six hours after sunrise which in itself is amazing, and then you add in the HORRIBLE weather … downpours and 40+ mph wind gusts. (video link of Great Gray Owl hunting for email subscribers)

And now here are some photographs of each of the six unique owls … three species.

Great Gray Owl … unique owl #1 (in the rain, but out of the wind)

Great Gray Owl … unique owl #2 (in the downpour and 40 mph wind gusts)

Barred Owl … unique owl #3 (video link for email subscribers)

Great Horned Owl … unique owl #4 (Momma)

Owlets … 63 days old!

Great Horned Owl … unique owl #5 (Owlet A)

Great Horned Owl … unique owl #6 (Owlet B)

Owlet Update: Days 39 to 43

Year 11

The Great Horned Owlets (and their parents) have now moved quite a distance from the nest. I have to search hard to find the owl family, and I am not always successful. The youngsters have become proficient flyers, and with that hunting lessons are now beginning. In fact, early this morning the owl family visited my yard at 4:30 am. I could hear the parents hooting, and the youngsters begging. The lesson of the morning was … hunt bird feeders! Yup, I know from experience that the Great Horned Owl parents, Les and Amy, very much know about my feeders and hunt them frequently! This lesson needed to be taught to the next generation, but ultimately they will have to find their own feeders!

Here are some images taken from Days 39 to 43 of the owlet’s lives bringing us through this past Monday.

Day 39 (20 Minutes after Sunset)

Day 41 (30 minutes before sunset)

Day 42 (Mother’s Day … May 12th! … at sunrise)

Day 43 (Mom guards from below … very unusual)