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WHO-HA-HOO-OO-OO IS READY FOR SPRING?

2/11/2010

2 Comments

 
Great-horned owls are the first of our winter-resident birds to nest, and hooting becomes most intense just before the female lays eggs. Devoted mates, the owls form pair-bonds that endure for years. Rather than migrating, the pair establishes and maintains a permanent territory. (Localized winter food shortages may break this pattern, prompting temporary southerly movements, or irruptions, toward better food sources.) Territorial boundaries are reaffirmed...
each autumn—just in case any young upstarts have showed up in search of a home. The big birds become unusually visible at this time, often perching on exposed branches or hunting in the afternoon. Great-horned owls also become more vocal in autumn. One of my most vivid memories from my son’s infancy is of sitting in his room during feedings in the middle of the night. As we rocked together in the chair by the window, the sleepy silence was often broken by the calls of a great-horned owl. Before putting the baby back in his crib I frequently stood at the window, swaying gently as I searched for the owl’s dark silhouette. The bird’s preferred hooting spot was the highest bare branch in the neighbor’s yard, from which his voice carried far across the trees and lake. Though years have passed, the sound of owl-song still evokes those nights with my newborn son.

It’s hard to say exactly where the owls’ nest is located. Great-horned owls don’t construct nests as some raptors do, but take over the nests previously occupied by crows, other raptors, or even squirrels. These might be stick nests, somewhat exposed in a winter-bare deciduous tree, or hollows in an aged tree. Around our property are many choices. I’ll be keeping a close eye on several old maple and oak trees at the bottom of the meadow. Each autumn we’ve seen great-horned owls perched on their branches or on the ground nearby. And one morning this past January, after a storm, my son and I were thrilled to notice a large set of wingprints in the meadow’s fresh snow—evidence of the bird’s attempt to capture prey on the ground.

Picture
Owl wingprints in the snow, January 2010

Whatever the location of the nest, several tiny owlets will hatch in mid-March. By early May, as frogs begin to call along the lakeshore and the trees in our orchard reach full bloom, the fledgling owls will be ready to fly beside their parents and begin their education in the ways of the owl.

If the female has already begun to lay her eggs, this morning’s round of owl-song may be the only concert we get. But soon enough the mornings will ring with the din of eager songbirds. That eventuality reinforces one of the first realizations I made when becoming a naturalist: Listen for birdsong every day, just because you can.


A Gallery of Winter Birds


White-breasted nuthatch, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
White-breasted nuthatch
American tree sparrow, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
American tree sparrow
Blue jay, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
Blue jay
Black-capped chickadee, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
Black-capped chickadee
Northerm cardinal, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
Female northern cardinal
Dark-eyed junco, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
Dark-eyed junco
Downy woodpecker, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
Male downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
Male hairy woodpecker
Red-bellied woodpecker, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
Male red-bellied woodpecker
American goldfinch, copyright 2010 Christine Petersen
American goldfinches
2 Comments
Matt from eco bags direct link
3/1/2010 06:12:24 am

What a sweet alarm clock. Living in Tulum, Mexico now for the past few months. I wake up to an entirely new symphony of birds then I did in Florida. They have a very interesting call that I can't really type a mimic of :). I love the coloration on The Male Hairy Woodpecker

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~Cheryl link
5/21/2010 01:39:43 pm

Terrific photos! Such soft looking clouds. Nice set!

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    CHRISTINE PETERSEN
    is a professional writer, naturalist, and natural science educator who writes from her home in Minnesota—when she's not too distracted by the view out the window.

    contact christine

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