R: Junior’s double-wing stretch!
Today I did my usual stop to find my owls after work. Will be trying to do this once a week just before sunset, as I have this feeling Junior might not be around for THAT much longer?
Why do I have this feeling? Well, Junior is not always with a nearby parent these days. She is now not frequently cry-hooting, if at all. And tonight she exhibited behavior that appeared to be her hunting on her own?
So I arrive at the owl nursery. And a Great Horned Owl is there. But not in the open spot. And this owl looked more adult. Soon I after I got there, it hooted. And I knew it was Pa Owl. No other owl near that I could see.
Over at the fakenesttree was Junior, in Ma Owl’s usual spot. Ok, so yesterday after I got home I thought about the photos I took of Junior in the owl nursery. And I couldn’t help but wonder if it really was Junior. Because her face seemed quite adult. And what I mean by that is that the coloring seemed faded a bit. So I really wanted to confirm tonight that she’s still around.
And after seeing her tonight, I’ve got some other indicators that makes me think it’s her. She likes that open spot in the owl nursery. She is often wide awake and looking at things before sunset approaches. And I think her horns are just a smidge shorter than her parents? All GUESSES really. But that’s what I’ve got. Especially as she’s no longer cry-hooting.
Pa Owl continued to hoot while I watched Junior and wondered where Ma Owl was. About half the time, she’d turn towards where Pa Owl was after he hooted. Then turned back.
It was such a special time of night. That Golden Hour nearing its end. Dark-eyed Juncos and Pygmy Nuthatches and California Towhees and Brown Creepers were providing an evening chorus for me. And a Great Blue Heron did a fly-over, too.
Got to watch Junior do leg stretches and TWO double-wing stretches! Got video of her doing her head-bob thing. Oh! That’s another thing the adults don’t seem to do. Also got video of her coughing up a pellet! She looked like she was preparing to cough one up. Then gave me A LOOK. Like she wasn’t thrilled I’d be watching her do this!
She then flew North to a tree over the paved path in the Secret Gardens. Followed her and watched her look at all kinds of things. She then flew to a more hidden spot in a Willow tree. And she hunched down like a cat about to attack, but she didn’t end up making a move. Made me think she’s trying to hunt on her own, though! Exciting!
She flew back to the previous tree. Looked around. Flew a bit more North to a different tree. Pa Owl is still hooting, by the way. At one point, she turned towards where he was hooting from, and she flew in that direction. Didn’t find her again. Maybe she’s not quite ready to hunt on her own?
But I started hearing Ma Owl join Pa Owl for duet hooting! Couldn’t see them exactly, but they were up high in the fakenesttree. And I got to be serenaded by them for a bit. Which is always nice. Eventually, Pa Owl flew to the nest tree from last year. And soon after, Ma Owl joined him in the tree next. Got to hear them continue to duet hoot while I walked in the darkness to my car.
And that is one of my favorite ways to end my Naturing time.
