A nice evening, with Marie, Jim, Chris and myself watching the owls.

I was the only regular. The three owls were tucked into the center of the Willow this evening, a safe resting place given the high winds.

At fly out they stayed close to the Willow, first in low trees and then in the protection of a small tree due east from the Willow.

No songs tonight, but the parents continued to ignore the fledgling and do their head rubbing.  I wonder if this is part of the natal dispersal process, a clue that they might start a second brood–given the loss of their three other fledglings, or just normal behavior.

Scott was kind enough to show me an owl in middle of the park this evening.  I called Jean, and she came down to watch it with me.  When dusk approached, I went up to watch the North Woods fly out and Jean stayed behind to study this forth owl of the season. 

This was her wonderful report:
“Country owl, for sure – good long look at whole left leg (elaborate bath) not long after you left. Finally flew out around 8:10, to scrawny tree across downhill sidewalk. Mobbed and mobbed by robins and littler birds, and just sat there and took it for another 10 min, then moved to evergreen just below the roost one, mobbed and mobbed and didn’t move. That’s her hunting strategy, apparently: she just sat and waited until one of them got too bold and then WHAM! Ben came by just before that – I couldn’t believe that’s what I saw, but he said he definitely saw robin-size package in talons – clever little owl.”

N.B: The reference to “Country owl”, was that the owl did not look to be banded.  I had taken pictures of the right leg earlier and Jean got a good look at the left leg.  We could have missed the band, they’re hard to see, but if the bird is not banded, it could either be a mature second generation bird born to owls released in 2001 or a migrant from outside the park.  The later seemed most realistic at the time, hence the phrase “Country owl”.  However in hindsight, we really don’t know enough to make a guess.

I was the only regular this evening, but unfortunately a paid “Owl Tour” attracted about fifteen onlookers.  I really had hoped we could keep the owls under the radar for two more weeks, especially given the signs that the parents might be starting work on a second brood.  It’s too bad the owls’ privacy was sold out for five dollars a head.

All three owls were in the Willow again this evening.  The parents together on a center branch and the fledgling far away.   The fledgling seems to be more and more independent each day.

A repeat of Friday, starting out in the Willow, a brief visit to the nest hole and then they’re off for the night.

Although the rain had stopped, it was still cool and gray this evening.  Jean was already there when I arrived, and Chris with Fig joined us later.  We had lots of stretching as they woke up and saw Trident make a quick return to the nest cavity, which was a surprise.