More owl chick encounters

While out in the woods, Joan encountered the first chick a day or two later. It was barely ten feet up in a tree, a few feet away from the original sycamore. It was completely unconcerned with us; however, we knew Mama or Papa was keeping a close eye on things and we didn't get too close. But we got a photo through the leaves.


The very next day, we got our first sighting of the second chick as the light was fading. This time, we saw the chick eventually decide to go back into the nest for one more day.


The next morning, we saw the second chick emerge again. This time, it tried earnestly to master using the beak and feet to climb around the tree, but its coordination wasn't up to the task. The chick fell most of the way down the tree, flapping, and then it caught a small branch in its talons. This left the bewildered chick hanging upside down five feet off the ground. After struggling for a few minutes to right himself, the chick gave up, let go, and fell to the ground. It gathered its wits for a few moments and then toddled off into the woods. My guess is that this is perfectly normal behavior, and indeed, we later saw the two chicks clustered together in the same tree, waiting to be able to fly.