One week ago today I blogged and included a photograph of the male Great Horned Owl all frost encrusted at -20F. My local owls have definitely nested, and now it is a waiting game till late March or early April. This morning at 9 am it was 30F (50 degrees warmer). The male Great Horned Owl may normally be found in a white pine 10 yards from the nesting tree with a clear view of his mate. He looks much more comfortable given the warmer weather. I know I like the warm sun.
Winter birding will now get much more difficult. Other owls will start to nest within the next few weeks (Barred, Great Gray, Long-Eared, etc). Bald Eagles are starting to migrate in decent numbers along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Pine and Evening Grosbeaks will move north as well within a short period of time. I actually sat outside on our deck for an hour reading yesterday afternoon for the first time since early November. The afternoon temperature reached 40F!
