12-31-01 Just before 5 p.m. the great
horned owls (GHO) duet-he's near the old red-tail nest and continues
hooting for ten minutes; she's behind the house and joins in
for a few minutes. The frogs chime in from the pond.
2-10-02 A spring weekend! Two red-tailed
hawks interact-first by slowly circling in the thermal, then
the smaller male dives at the larger female. She tucks and ducks.
They circle up again, together. A 2nd dive and an evasive maneuver.
A red- shouldered hawk calls across the valley and 2 turkey vultures
drift on by.
2-15-02 At dusk, 5:30, the two owls are
calling out front. I sit by the round window and finally one
owl takes a long flight over the terraces and into the woods
behind us. She calls/erks again from out front. Not wanting to
disturb the area I go through the house and stand on the front
porch, scanning. There is a head above the old red-shouldered's
nest that was a red-tailed's nest last year! The owl is sitting
in the nest! I back off, wanting NO disturbance! Later a bat
zips around in the light inside the garage, then scrambles into
the ½ inch space above the cupboard.
2-16-02 As soon as it's light I check
on the nest from the front porch. Yes, the rounded head with
ear tufts is still in the nest. A late afternoon check finds
her still sitting tight. This evening we're doing an owl program
at Bird Rescue. It rains just as we begin talking about owls
of Sonoma County and seeing our residents. Finally the rain on
the metal roof lets up. Our big group walks to the big palm tree.
In my flashlight beam I can see a white streak-is it owl? Or
plant? One child sees movement. I see what looks like facial
features. Still unsure. Now, yes, it is a barn owl! The eyes
shine red back to me. Everyone sees it before it flies. Pellets
under the tree reveal two big gopher skulls, a bird skull and
mice that are all part of the diet of the owl.
2-27-02 Now a red-tailed hawk flies past
with a long branch. He lands to the left of the owls. A nest
is underway! One hawk waits, then the other flies in with a stick
and the first hawk flies off-and back with a stick. I take my
breakfast on the front porch so I can watch.
3-5-02 After a big windstorm no more hawk
action is seen. Was the nest deemed to be too exposed? Calypso
orchids are in bloom below the nest. It's great to greet these
old "friends".
3-13-02 The owl sits high in the nest.
Just before dark she calls. At 10:30 p.m. she calls loudly and
repeatedly. This could be Day 26 of incubation (typically 26-35
days)!
3-18-02 The red-tail seems to be landing
on a well-formed nest. GHO is steadily sitting. At 7 p.m. an
owl flies in; with food?
3-20-02 The first day of Spring and black-crowned
night herons returned today to Penngrove (where they have nested
since the 1930s). A red-tail roller-coasters across the yard-tucked
wings, a dive, upswing and again. He goes to the nest area. A
pileated woodpecker calls twice and flies from our yard to the
other side of the valley; is this his yearly spring review of
the area? (He's been heard 3-11 and 3-23 in previous years.)
3-28-02 Standing up in the woods I can
hear the owlet(s?) softly calling from the nest. In the full
moon I cannot see mom; is she off the nest?
4-3-02 A full day: our moms have arrived
from Connecticut. Towards dusk we get a look at the owl's nest.
YES! There's a fuzzy white head low in the nest. By evening the
calling "eeps" of a youngster is evident, even from
the front porch. He's stronger.
4-4-02 Before we leave town for Sea Ranch
Mom and I have time to check the nest with the spotting scope.
I suspect a 2nd youngster; to the right rear is movement that
looks unconnected to the big owlet. Nothing for sure, just a
hunch.
4-8-02 Returning to Santa Rosa we check right away to
see if "all's right with the world". Yes, there are
still 2 chicks but they've grown to a soccer ball sized 12 incher
and a ganglier 9 incher. We can tell who's getting first dibs
on the food! After dark Mom and I sit on the front porch with
our cups of tea and listen to the "sheep" calls of
the owlets.
4-9-02 Red-taileds call and fly in amidst
commotion at the nest. Mating activity? Then one's gone. The
owls pay no attention.
4-10-02 Today it's hot-the baby owls sit
there, panting, in the afternoon sun.
4-11-02 In the morning we all get to see
the adult GHO. Twice as I walked down the driveway to fill feeders
I have scared up a big bird from the madrone and oak trees. I
expected the red-tail so it wasn't until the 2nd look that I
recognized the adult owl! He sits dead-center on a big horizontal
branch beyond the pond. He's easy to find with 5 Stellar jays
squawking and flying around him.
4-13-02 At 6:50 p.m. the owl lands on
that same horizontal branch past the pond. She flies past with
a long dangling item, red and opened. I grab the scope and head
for the front porch. The mom lands in the big fir and I can scope
her-her tail hangs over the branch but under her foot is a gopher
snake, and a big one. She "erks", then heads into the
nest and stays awhile, tearing dinner into bite-sized pieces.
4-15-02 The female "erks" and
another snake flies by. I seldom see snakes here; where has she
found two? She stops again in the Douglas Fir and calls a few
times before heading into the nest. She eats some, then the owlets
get fed. The male drops in briefly with a rodent-drop and go.
We're having a cold snap so mom settles in and stays at the nest
as a big down coverlet!
4-18-02 At 6:30 p.m. mom calls a few times,
the jays squawk, and into the nest mom flies-empty "handed".
She pulls something up from the nest bottom and tears off pieces,
feeding them to the largest chick, Jeff. (They beak at each other
and wobble around and cuddle up side by side but their size difference
makes me think of a Mutt and Jeff team.) Finally in worms Mutt,
between mom and Jeff and almost under mom's legs. She wants food
too. She gets it all right-mom hands her an entire crow's leg.
Thigh first it goes down until only the crow's foot is sticking
out of Mutt's mouth; a few more gulping rollovers and it disappears.
Mom tears the next piece for Jeff and I see a long black crow
tail go down his throat-maybe a bit fuzzy feeling? Another bite
or two and the smaller Mutt again gets the 2nd leg! She downs
it but I couldn't imagine how the first leg fit in much less
two! A jay dives in and actually hits mom on top of the head.
Undaunted, she rummages in the bottom of the nest and pulls up
the second course-1/2 a rat. Once in a while mom swallows a morsel
herself as she proceeds to feed each chick a few more bites.
They stand in front of and under her so she pulls a bite off
and they beak up at her, taking it from her beak. Behind me in
the woods the jays squawk as if they've got the 2nd owl located,
but I don't see it. A chick stands, wobbles, stretches its wings
and poops over the nest edge, then walks back to the dinner table.
I swing the scope over to check the red-tails; one stops at the
nest briefly then takes off. A delivery? The owlets are beginning
to show ear tufts and 2 inch long primary wing feathers. One
chick looks down at me from between mom's legs, under her tail;
the other peers from under her chest.
4-19-02 A tail pokes beyond the hawk's
nest; she's sitting! Earlier there was one noisy in-and-out exchange.
4-28-02 It's time to review the rest of
the yard. The pileated woodpecker is still being seen in the
bigger trees past the owl's nest. A California towhee is still
going from window to window, trying to chase that reflection
out of his territory! (and my windows are far from clean.) These
towhees are nesting in the butterfly bush that arches over the
path; the nest is just at head height. Plenty of opportunity
for disturbance but she sits tight! Nestboxes around the yard
have western bluebirds and 2 sets of chestnut-backed chickadees.
Beautiful little faces with open mouths appear at the nest hole.
They must stand on top of one another to reach that height. Brown
creepers are always in evidence, calling "zeet, zeet, zeet-l-dy,
zeet" and flying to the base of a tree, working upward gleaning
bugs. Black-headed grosbeaks sing like run-on robins. Bushtits
have hung their "sock" of mosses in the live oak where
caterpillars are a ready food supply. House finches are trying
for a second year to nest atop the porch light. They too are
often disturbed-especially when I come in at night and can't
go through the garage into the house because there are big brown
bats roosting on the door. The red-tailed hawks are doing noisy
exchanges at the nest. As the owl chicks are bigger the female
owl comes in later now.
5-4-02 Back in town in time for Ann, Bryant
and I to observer the owls, our evening entertainment. Both chicks
stand big and tall. Some "sheep" calls at 6:45 but
no sign of mom. As I say, "It's staying light longer. I
imagine she won't be in until 7:15" Ann and Bryant head
back to the house to bring wine and cheese. In accordance with
"Murphy's Law" mom GHO comes immediately with food
and lots of commotion from the owlets. Even though it's warmer
mom stays with them; maybe it's because she knows they're "teenagers"
and teens try stupid things when left alone! Jeff lurches around
on the platform and, in dare-devil fashion, stands at the very
edge of the nest.
5-5-02 Both red-tails are at the nest;
a swap of places. He stands at the edge pulling food apart, but
it looks like only to feed himself. The towhee goes from window
to window, batting at the window with his wings, trying to chase
"that other" towhee away.
5-7-02 Chickadees are everywhere at the
feeders and in the trees; must be fledged out of their nestboxes.
Bluebirds are still noisy in their box. Marilynn Scott comes,
worried she'll miss the owls if she waits longer (and she would
have!). We get good looks at both owlets.
5-8-02 This morning we have branchers!
The owlets stand 8 feet above the nest at 1:00 and 2:00 (birders
use position on a clock face to help others locate birds). By
evening only one is visible. I watch as long as I can before
going to my meeting; no food yet from mom.
5-9-02 One bird, Mutt, stands on a branch.
We look under the nest for problems but no sign of Jeff. At least
he hasn't fallen below. Mutt stays all day on the big branch
at a 45 degree angle. Same spot.
5-10-02 Mutt's in the same spot this morning.
I hope he's being fed. (I guess if he wasn't he would have fallen
off the branch by now.) Tonight one owlet calls in a tree to
the left. I listen, but no second call. At 10:30 p.m. I observe
from the front porch: I hear calls-mom "erks", very
loud clacks in response from the owlet, mom "erks"
and moves west. Mutt calls and calls and wants food delivered.
He sounds to be about 30 feet closer to the red-tails' nest.
Mom calls from the pond. Mutt's not going to try that flight
distance. Mom comes closer and "erks" from my TV antenna
(I can see her silhouetted against the night sky). Mutt moves
to the big fir. I hear the wire fence reverberate; is he okay?
A quick search with the flashlight finds noone plastered in the
wire. Mom circles back; is it too far for him? Calls come from
the big fir, then the bay, then she's in the woods. (Five times
I've thought I heard a faint distant second owlet call.) She
works Mutt hard for 45 minutes, coercing him to fly and follow
her to get food. All goes quiet.
5-15-02 No owls visible in the morning.
Who knows where they left off last night. A neighbor, Matt, telephones
because on his walk along the road he's spotted feathers: "Looks
like a wing, torn off. Are your owls okay?" I stop along
the road and bring back the feathers. I call Matt, saying, "Yes,
it looks torn off. But that's a barn owl wing, it probably was
food for my owls. (Great horned owls, weighing it at 3-4 lbs
are known to eat 1 lb barn owls.) I haven't seen the one youngster
for a week so you had me worried." By 6:30 p.m. I take dinner
onto the back porch since I'm hearing an owl calling behind the
house, whistle calls. Hmm. The older owlet last year would whistle.
Hmm. Jays squawk in agitation; 50 feet to their left comes a
hoot. Mom? Pop? An owl flies, big and agile all along the tree
line's cover and lands. Big, tawny, whistling as older youngsters
do, sitting right in the open in a fir. Could it be Jeff? Yes!!!
A week since I've seen any sign of him. I stand near the old
nest and listen very carefully. I can hear a "sheep"
call from down the hill or across the road-it's Mutt! I drive
to the corner to listen; definitely across the road. As I pull
up to the neighbor's house I can see Mutt perched behind the
house. Annette and I go out to look and listen. She's amazed
at how big he is when I tell her he's a baby owl. And the call
surprises her too; no hoots yet. I can hear both youngsters and
mom "erks" too. The family is accounted for. I call
Matt back to thank him for his alert observation and to let him
know all is well.
5-17-02 Baby juncos are everywhere today,
calling and following their parents. The "brrt" of
a western tanager is a welcome note, high up in the tree tops.
And the "Tail", hawk watchers' abbreviated version
of red-tailed hawk, is visible on the nest. Loads of bugs are
visibly swarming, but they'll be taken care of by the Hutton's,
Cassin's and warbling vireos I hear. A descending "peeer"
indicates a western wood pewee is out and about, another insect-eater.
At dark Jeff begins whistling every 6 seconds. Mom flies up from
the ground as Millie and I enter the woods. Quail scatter noisily;
were they the ones being stalked? A brown creeper works the tree
bark, too close for focusing in my binoculars. I hear Mutt still
across the street, then Jeff whistles, and mom "erks"
near Mutt.
5-20-02 Quail scurry; the male's territory
must be right around the female, wherever she goes he follows
her and runs after her as if he's on a tether. Two young GHOs
whistle from both sides of the wooded lane. Mutt has returned!
5-22-02 7 a.m. mom sits against the tree
bark-perfect camouflage. Still there at 5 p.m., hidden from jays
and us. The two youngsters are in a tree crotch, in gorgeous
light! One is busy eating; the other watches.
5-23-02 Three owls are heard and seen
in the a.m. and p.m. A juvenile, very white, calls from a branch
perch. The 2nd one sits in the crotch. Then both are side by
side. A missed photo-op! One spreads its big feet, toes 2 by
2, and climbs right up a big 7 inch diameter branch at a 50 degree
angle. No problem! Not to be left behind the 2nd one hops and
follows. #1 flies 15 ft and #2 plays "tag, you're it".
The woodlot is just a big jungle-gym. The "Tail" stands
tall at the nest; is something else there?
5-24-02 Three baby birds fly across the
driveway, with bluish tinge. Could these be the bluebird babes?
(Blue is such an interesting feather color. There is no pigment
in any blue feather; the color is structural and is visible only
when the angle of interference is right.) Bryant has just asked
if there's any sign of red-tail chicks. My reply, "I think
so but haven't seen any yet." is out of date 5 minutes later.
In the warm afternoon mom is spreading her wings as a parasol
and up pops a bright, alert, white chick! In a nearby tree a
young owl stands out as a tawny ball in the greenery. Which way
shall I look? |
