365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Great Horned Fuzzball
Day 143: I had a feeling the Great Horned Owl chicks were going to have fledged by the time I got back down to the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, and I was hoping they'd still be staying close to the nest. I was in luck! Although I only spotted two of the owlets today, reports from other observers indicate that all three have been seen, as well as both parent birds.
Still very downy, the young do not fly well for the first two months after leaving the nest. They will be tended by both parents for some time. Their current activity is largely confined to exploration as they hop or flutter from branch to branch. Eating is likewise a principle pastime. For the number of photographers gathered on the boardwalk today, I think "modelling" should also be added to their job description. Is there anything more adorable than a fuzzy baby owl?
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