Monday, May 16, 2011

Baby Owl #2

Because Barry's re-nesting was so successful, we were  privileged  to re-nest another baby barred owl!  
This owl came from a nearby town.  The Raptor People put the baby owl in the plastic crate roped to a tree in our woodsy backyard.  It was hoped that new owl parents would adopt it.  By the next day, the owl was perched on the edge of the crate.  The following morning, however, the owl had disappeared!  Oh no!  By that evening we found it--high on a branch in another tree about 20 yards away! 
See the baby owl in the middle of the photo?  (click to enlarge)
Owls cannot fly at this point in their life (about 4 weeks) so it must have fallen out of the tree and somehow made its way across the ground to the new tree.  Then it crawled up the tree using its sharp beak and talons.  What an adventure!  This must have taken many hours to accomplish.
adoptive mother in nearby tree.  We don't know if this is the same mother owl as Barry's, but we assume so since owls are territorial.
The day following this adventure, I saw the baby owl hop up the tree to another branch.  They start doing this at about 4 weeks, but can't really fly till close to 6.
It's been such a joy to witness these young owl lives and the adults caring for them. 
See this link for Barry's story and owl links (including their vocalizations.)
Thanks once again to Cindy and Marc of RAPTOR, INC!

photos by me © 2011

25 comments:

  1. Margaret, I think it's wonderful that you are a part of this amazing process. I'm glad to hear the baby has a new family to take care of him.

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  2. Well done, owls are not easy, looks like your new addition is taking well to your tree

    My family has been doing wildlife rescue for many years, it can be very rewarding

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  3. How wonderful! I think it is great that you are able to document and be part of this whole thing.

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  4. Oh my goodness, that owl is so adorable! It is so amazing that you do this, how wonderful!

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  5. That's awesome, Margaret! Thanks for sharing.

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  6. It is so adorable. We had an owl in our backyard a long time ago. I took some photos of it, but lost them (I believe) when I had a virus. Great trees! {:-D

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  7. I think this is so wonderful that you were able to nest them. They are so cute when they are little. Like little balls of fluff.

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  8. They are such beautiful creatures! How cool to have them right in your own back yard :)

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  9. How wonderful that you can witness this! I'm really enjoying reading along with the owl adventures!

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  10. You are so blessed to get to watch all this so CLOSE- UP! Thanks for sharing!

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  11. Owls are so beautiful and it's wonderful you get to see this baby and keep an eye on it! Thanks for sharing your photos!

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  12. ohhhh...how cute! avocados would be fabulous in this sandwich. and sprouts!

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  13. What an exciting adventure to follow the lifestyle of these beautiful creatures.

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  14. Nice pictures and observation.
    I never have a chance to photograph an own in its natural habitat.

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  15. You really are fortunate to witness all of this up close and personal. Really neat!

    =)

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  16. How wonderful to have an owl to watch ~ they are truly my favorite bird. Sad that we do not see them very often. They Are Beautiful!
    xo Catherine

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  17. OWL have to keep up with this story :)

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  18. Margret,I love this,love your blog,I'm happy new follower,hope you can come follow back,thank you for your visit and your comment so sweet and charming,I don't have many flowers but what few I have are precious.

    Last year,we found a baby squirrel on the ground(ants all over)so I brought the little thing in and raised it with a bottle,I name her "scooter",she was released back into out yard when she grew older,I think I still see her once in a while,I miss her so much,but I know she is were she should be.Love this Owl post and I read the previous ones also.Hope you come back.
    ~Jo
    LazyonLoblolly

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  19. Wow - incredible journey! Very fun :)

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  20. Poor little guy! I'm glad that you can get him a start in life...looking forward to updates.

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  21. That owl is unbelievably gorgeous. How lucky for you to be able to witness its growth. I rarely see owls around here, but often get woken up by their lonesome night-time cries. In fact, I heard one early this morn. :) Great post! :)

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  22. I'm now following your charming site and hope you will follow mine in return. I love your photos!

    Regards, Mari

    http://www.mariscamera.blogspot.com/

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  23. wow! so great. what a sweet little owl. I saw my first owl (in the wild) a few months ago and it was awesome.

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  24. Wow! This is really interesting! I never knew about owl renesting before. From the sound of it, you really have to keep a good watch on the owls when they are young, huh? What an amazing story to share!

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  25. You Are so good at this.

    I Gree with your cooments on my dents post. Growing in trust everyday.

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Your comments make my day! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!