Quite a treat, after searching high a low, and almost giving up, to just barely see the large “ears” of a female Great Horned Owl on nest this afternoon. She was sitting so low in the nest, her ears were a big challenge to find behind the sticks in an old nest.

Excerpt from Mass Audubon Breeding Bird Atlas I below.

The Great Horned Owl is the earliest nester of our native birds, usually laying its eggs between February 20 and March 25. The clutch almost always consists of two eggs, but the range can be from one to three, and sometimes four. One brood is raised each season, and on rare occasions a second clutch is produced if the first is lost. Incubation usually begins with the first egg and is performed by the female for 28 to 30 days. She will remain on the nest even during severe weather conditions and may be found covered with snow.