Great Horned Owl and owlets!

April 26, 2018 in Great Horned Owl

_W7I4891-001Under clear blue skies and beautiful late day sun, winds form W at 13MPH and gusting up to 25MPH, had nice looks at female Great Horned Owl and two owlets.  They were keeping a close eye on a nearby Raven that was making loud threat vocalizations and strafing the nest but from a distance.  It caught the full attention of the female, and whatever the female watches, the owlets pay close attention.  Only when an owl nest is left unattended or an adult is driven from the nest by human activity is there predation on eggs and nestlings by crows or ravens.

 

 

 

_W7I4968-001Here is a quick framework of growth and development. Owlets exhibit hostile behavior at approach of nearby intruders by 15 days: hisses and sways from side to side, claps bill and raises wing stubs. By 19 days, capable of exaggerated head movements while observing objects. Curiosity fully evident by 21 d; grasps objects in nest with toes and nibbles them. Able to feed self by 20-27 days (although female may continue to feed nestlings through 5th wk). Drops pellets after third week, and defecates in nest until about fourth week; thereafter attempts to eliminate over edge of nest.  Able to climb well by 40 days, at which time young may leave the nest and clamber out along a tree branch or along a ledge. Young fully feathered and capable of flight by 45-49 d.

Literature cited:

Artuso, C., C. S. Houston, D. G. Smith, and C. Rohner (2013). Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.372

Ward Reservation: Great Horned Owl & Pileated!

March 1, 2018 in Great Horned Owl

_W7I1039-002Made an enjoyable morning visit to the Ward Reservation in Andover and North Andover.  The Ward Reservation is a 704-acre open space reserve 20 miles north of Boston. The reserve, managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations, is notable for its open drumlin hilltops and vistas encompassing Boston and beyond. The Ward Reservation offers 13 miles of trails and former woods roads available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing.

The Great Horned Owl nest is occupied again this year.  The female has been incubating eggs for about the past 2 weeks.  While quietly watching from a distance, she peeked up for a few moments, providing a nice look and opportunity for one quick image.

The female begins brooding immediately after laying first egg.  The incubation period typically runs about 30-37 days.  Incubation is performed only by the female.  She remains on nest throughout, and the male delivers prey to her at intervals throughout night; first prey delivery generally takes place shortly after dark.

Reference cited:

Artuso, Christian, C. Stuart Houston, Dwight G. Smith and Christoph Rohner. 2013. Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.372

Great Horned Owl on nest: Middlesex County

April 18, 2017 in Great Horned Owl

_W7I5532-001On a very sunny afternoon with bright sun and few clouds, made a visit in Groton to a Great Blue Heron Rookery to enjoy the sights!  The wind was blowing from southeast at 15MPH and temps were low 50F.  Observed a pair of owlets in a former heron next while the Great Blues were flying by in constant motion.  These two owlets were very cute and took turns standing and crouching low always with a eye in our direction!

Great Horned Owl: Essex County

April 12, 2017 in Great Horned Owl

_W7I4629-001A beautiful morning walking around from the end of Crane Neck St. in West Newbury with fairly bright sun, a bit of haze, light winds from the east at 5MPH, and temps just over 60F.  Observed a female Great Horned Owl in incubation posture on a distant nest in the midst of a former Great Blue Heron Rookery.  Based on the calendar, the owlets likely hatched a few weeks ago and they will be visible very soon with their white fluffy down!

Great Horned Owl on nest!

April 11, 2017 in Great Horned Owl

_W7I4344-001Under overcast skies, winds SW at 10MPH, and warm temps in low 80’s, made a visit to the Ward Reservation to observe the female Great Horned Owl brooding her young.  At this point in the calendar, the chick or chick may be around 4-5 weeks old and making an appearance soon around the level of the nest!  The female is now sitting much higher in the nest indicating a growing brood below!

Great Horned Owl on nest!

April 3, 2017 in Great Horned Owl

_W7I0904-001When Great Horned Owl eggs hatch, the downy owlets are the size of newborn chickens. Their mother broods them day and night. A few weeks later, the owlets can be left alone while both adults resume hunting at twilight. Great Horned Owl young remain in the nest for about six weeks, then climb out onto nearby branches. They begin taking short flights at seven weeks, and can fly well at 9-10 weeks.

Great Horned Owl: female on eggs!

March 21, 2017 in Great Horned Owl

_W7I6976-001In Massachusetts, Great Horned Owls typically start nesting in the middle of February, raising their families in the later stages of winter. The female will incubate the eggs while her mate brings her food. Within a month, up to five eggs will hatch and the owlets will be closely guarded by their parents. Six weeks after hatching, the owlets will leave the nest and walk around. In another three weeks, the young owls will already have learned to fly. The parents will continue to feed and care for their offspring for several months, often as late as October. It is wise to stay away from young owls and their nests as Great Horned Owls are not afraid to attack if they feel their family is threatened!

Great Horned Owl: female on nest

February 24, 2017 in Great Horned Owl

_W7I2364-002Quite 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.

Great Horned Owl and owlets!

May 18, 2016 in Great Horned Owl

CF2C0185-001The Great Horned Owlets are growing bigger each day with fledge time closing in!

Great Horned Owl and owlet!

May 11, 2016 in Great Horned Owl

CF2C9039-001The Great Horned Owlets just keep growing and getting bigger!  They will be branching soon and then fledging and making first flight!