Mama/Papa Owls

Here is a small photo essay on the watchfulness of mama and papa owl. As long as the chicks could not fly, one parent stayed close to keep an eye on them while the other hunted. (We saw one small squirrel barely avoid becoming lunch by ducking under an asian honeysuckle bush.) The parents did not act as if they considered humans a threat; we took neighbors and a friend on a few "owl safaris" until the leaves came out enough to make them difficult to find. After the chicks were able to fly on their own, the owl family had a much larger range to cover, and we have had only one or two brief glimpses since.

Owls paying attention:





Owls taking 40 winks: