Every spring we have a couple of Eastern Screech Owls come visit and nest in a tree cavity or old woodpecker hole. We watch the parents come and go at night disappearing into the tree cavity with insects and worms.
Mother Owl watching us closely to make sure we don't get to close to the nest. She actually drops acorns and tree bark down on you if you place your chair to close to "her" tree.
The Mom ducks down suddenly camera shy as Dad joins her to see what we are doing.
Then one night we saw her swoop in and out so quickly that we knew she didn't feed the yet to be seen baby owl. Puzzled...we waited. Pretty soon the Mom and Dad Owl began to call out to the baby from a nearby tree. Finally he shyly poked his head out at the bottom of the tree cavity and then disappeared again. This went on for probably an hour before he got brave enough to climb to the top of the tree cavity.
Here's the little guy up close.
"It's a long way down!"
Getting braver he finally peeks his head out.
"It's a long way up!"
Finally he scrambles out and starts his climb.
And
off he goes! He climbed way up into the tree canopy where Mom and Dad
joined him for his first flight...not to be seen again until next
spring.
