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
