Feeding Great Horned Owls: From Nest to Branch

I shared a post a couple of weeks ago about a Great Horned Owl nest I discovered in a Sycamore tree just a mile from my home. That post can be reviewed by clicking here.  I've monitored that nest almost daily since I originally discovered it. I've been able to do a quick drive-by on my way home from work and spend a little more time in the early evening hours watching the parents bring food to the chicks. Much has changed since my last post on this particular nest. Three babies outgrew and completely destroyed their nest, forcing them to "branch" despite their young age. "Branching" is normal for these owls. As they grow they leave the nest and find a perch on a nearby branch. Mom and dad bring food to them on their branches during evening hours for a couple of weeks. Over time the young owls begin to jump from one branch to another and use their wings in the process. As they fledge they take short flights until they can actually follow the parents to the food source on their own. One of the three owlets, unfortunately, ended up on the ground prematurely. A passerby noticed the owl and called the Division of Wildlife Resources. The DWR took the owl to a bird rehabilitator. I spoke to that rehabilitator and learned that the owl was in good shape and probably should have just been put back into a nearby tree. The rehabilitator will care for the owlet until it is ready to release into the wild again. I hope to be a part of that process.

It took a couple of weeks, but I was finally able to see dad for the first time. He's paler in appearance than the mom.

Here are a couple of images of Mom and babies in various stages of branching over a period of time. All three can be seen in the first image below. Note mom's tawny coloring on her chest compared to dad's pale chest above.

It's funny to see the extent of downy feathers these little guys have on their lower halves as their backs and wings develop more adult-like feathers.

Their heads resemble Brillo pads during their earlier weeks of development. This guy really looks like he's wearing some sort of Halloween costume. I smile when I see them at this curious stage.

I've found fish heads, magpie feathers, mice, and unidentified animal parts below the trees where these owls have been living over the past couple of weeks. The tail end of a Eurasian Collared-Dove was found below the tree where the three were perched one day. Cooper's Hawks eat lots of doves in that area, but they tend to empty the chest cavity rather than consume the bird from head to vent.

During the past few days the owlets have really ventured out and become almost impossible to locate during my drive-bys. Two nights ago I decided it would be easier to locate them by arriving at dusk and waiting for them to give their begging calls to the parents. That strategy worked well and I was able to re-find the two owlets by tracking their calls. I was thrilled to watch both young owls practice some of their first flights from an evergreen to a power pole about thirty feet away. One owl made it to the pole while the second was about forty feet above and away from the pole. I watched that little owl think about flying for about fifteen minutes before it actually took the plunge. It reminded me of that very first jump I took from the high diving board at the local swimming pool when I was a little kid growing up in Kentucky. The second owl nearly knocked the first one off the pole with its clumsy landing.

I knew my time with these owls was growing short when I saw the little ones taking flight. I captured some of those first flight moments on my phone video, but the quality was pretty poor. I drove home and retrieved my Nikon gear, tripod, and light. When I returned it was extremely quiet in the dark, other than the sound of rain water dripping from a roof onto a concrete pad.  The owls were nowhere to be seen or heard. I waited patiently and then heard the two owls make their begging calls again.  I heard dad start singing from the top of an evergreen. Mom then began doing her "bark" call. The whole family was communicating so I set up my Nikon D7100 and 80-400mm lens on the tripod. I tracked down the owlets and was able to capture video of mom feeding chunks of fish to one high in a deciduous tree. The video below represents some of what I saw as mom tore away and fed pieces from the front half of the fish to the baby. You should be able to watch the following videos in High Definition (1080p) so check that setting if the image quality is not sharp.

I left those two alone and positioned myself next to the trunk of a large tree. I focused my lens on the second baby who was patiently waiting for its meal on the branch of an evergreen, the same tree from which it took a flight to a power pole nearly an hour earlier. A domestic pea fowl from a nearby farm can be heard calling as well.

Moments later Mama Owl perched on and barked from the pole that earlier provided landing practice to the owlets. I can still see, in my mind's eye, mom with a fish tail dangling from her beak. What a sight! She then popped over to the second young "fuzz ball of an owl" and delivered the fish.

I wasn't able to visit the site yesterday or today so I'm rather curious about how long they will remain in close proximity. I'll check again in a night or two.

Prior to discovering the nest near my home I found one about thirty minutes from my home. That particular nest is about two or three weeks behind in the growth of the chicks I've been watching most recently. There are two owlets in that more distant nest. I will probably go check on that nest some night this week since I haven't checked for nearly a month. Here's a video clip from that nest site. I captured it nearly a month ago. It shows mom and dad and one of the owlets as it receives and completely swallows a mouse head first.

I have been fascinated with what I've witnessed with these owl families. I can see the care and discipline of the parents as they feed others before feeding themselves. There is order in the way they breed and rear a new generation. I've tried to maintain a safe and unobtrusive distance to allow these owls to continue normal activity as I've observed them. I've tried to be careful with the lighting as well. I hope that you recognize my desire to appreciate and respect these creatures. And I hope you have enjoyed vicariously seeing sights not often seen by others.

The Early Bird Gets The Nest: Great Horned Owls

Preface to this post: This is my first post with new camera equipment. My best gear, along with my wallet, and laptop were stolen two weeks ago today. In an instant I was a photographer and blogger without a single lens. It was quite the setback that left me with a real pit in my stomach. I did all I could to report and track my equipment and I prayed for a change of heart for the person who took my things as well as a change in my own heart to allow me to appreciate what I have rather than fret over what I lost. I was still a husband, a father, grandfather, and friend. I still had beautiful relationships and they matter most. Last week I discovered that I was fortunate to have a homeowners insurance policy that covered all my losses minus the deductible. I'm excited to be up and running again. I thank my friends and fellow photographers who provided some consolation and offers to use their equipment when they learned of my loss. God bless each of you to recognize His tender mercies in good times and bad.

Now the post: 
Great Horned Owls don't build their own nests, but they are early breeders so they have many established nests from which to choose. They begin courting and mating as early as January and February so they are able to take advantage of the nests built by hawks, ravens, and herons. They may also take advantage of squirrel nests, structures, and large cavities suitable to their needs. I can only imagine that hawks and other birds are a bit put out when they return in spring to find someone squatting on their property.

I made mental notes of all the large nests I observed in barren deciduous trees during the recent winter months. I was looking for possible Cooper's Hawk and Great Horned Owl nests. These nests are easily observed when the deciduous trees are barren of leaves. I make note of possible Cooper's Hawk nests so I can check on them after leaves are on the trees and the Cooper's Hawks are breeding. When I look at possible Great Horned Owl nests I pay particular attention to whether or not the large ear tufts of the Great Horned Owls are sticking up from the top of the nest.

I was delighted Sunday morning when I double checked what I thought would be a likely Hawk nest in a very tall Sycamore tree and discovered a female Great Horned Owl perched right next to it. I immediately focused on the nest and saw the round fuzzy heads of her chicks. They appeared to be about five or six weeks old--maybe a week or two away from "branching" out of the nest and onto nearby branches where they will continue to be fed and weaned by the parents for a couple of weeks. I could not believe I had missed discovering this active nest earlier since it was just minutes from my home.

Female Great Horned Owl and Chick at Nest Site in American Fork, UT

Below is my initial view as I drove toward the tree and noticed the adult owl perched to the right of the nest. The blob at the top left is an active Black-billed Magpie nest. Like most Magpie nests it has a dome on the top. The owl nest is about 40 feet above the road that passes below. My wife often asks with amazement, "How the heck did you see that?" I guess when you start paying attention and seeking certain things you will find them. Most people aren't looking into trees ahead while they are driving either. A close look will show the back light shining through the fine downy feathers on the heads of the chicks in the nest.

Sycamore Tree Containing Magpie Nest (upper left) and Great Horned Owl Nest (upper right) American Fork, UT
Female Owl to Right of Nest, Three Chicks in Nest

I have not seen the male yet, but I suspect he is roosting in a nearby evergreen during the daylight hours. I noticed that "mama" has more color than I've seen on most Great Horned Owls here in Utah. This seems to match the coloring of Pacific Great Horned Owls.

Female Great Horned Owl American Fork, UT

Female Great Horned Owl American Fork, UT

When I first stopped to observe the chicks it appeared there were only two. I saw two from the east view and two from the west view. However, as I looked up and walked from one side to the other I noticed there were actually three chicks.

Great Horned Owl Chicks in Nest in American Fork, UT

These three growing chicks were quite curious about what I as doing as I passed below them. I love their focused yellow eyes looking down from nearly forty feet above.

Great Horned Owl Chicks in Nest in American Fork, UT

A sure sign of an owl roost or, in this case, a nest is lots of waste. Chicks aim away from the nest when they defecate. The large gray item in the bottom, right-hand corner is a Eurasian Collared-Dove wing. I don't know if one of the parent owls took it from an evening roost or if one of the local Cooper's Hawks made a meal of it. I've nicknamed this very short strip of road "Death Row" because there seems to be at least one or two massacred doves along the road each time I pass through.

The Evidence of a Great Horned Owl Nest in the Tree Above

I saw this Cooper's Hawk in the same area last week right after it took out a Collared-Dove and began to eat it while perched on a branch in a shady group of trees. The look on her face seems to say, "I'm eating here. Do you mind?"

Female Cooper's Hawk With Dove in American Fork, UT

I'll leave the harsh reality of life for the birds of prey and finish with a few more settling images of the Great Horned Owls temporarily inhabiting the Sycamore Tree. The round seed pods of this tree almost seem like decorations.

Great Horned Owl on Nest in Sycamore Tree in American Fork, UT

Great Horned Owl Chick on Nest (Sycamore Tree) in American Fork, UT

Great Horned Owl Chick in Nest (Sycamore Tree) in American Fork, UT

Great Horned Owl Adult and Chick at Nest in Sycamore Tree in American Fork, UT