One of those lucky finds. A couple of weeks ago I was scouting some area open spaces looking for foxes when I spotted this nest.

At the time, I could see one owlet with mama in it. This past weekend I went by again and saw two golden eyes peering over the rim. It seems like there might be another owlet in front of the one but I can’t tell for sure.

After snapping some pics of the little one I said, “I wonder where mama is?” Well, as it turns out she was perched in the tree directly above where I stopped my truck.

Darn it! Clearly I waited too long to pay another visit to this nest. You have seen me post pics of it, the one with the tree cavity nest. Well, I thought this would be the week where the little ones would start hopping around the rim of the nest.

I was wrong as this afternoon they were out of the nest and way up in the tree hanging out with mama (you have to look close for the second owlet peeking out). Oh well. I got some cool shots of mama when she first started incubating and later of the pair down in the nest just a week and a half ago.

So stinking cute!

I went and checked on one of my local great horned owl spots and finally got a good look at the little ones. Initially only one owlet was visible but I could see motion behind it so I knew there had to be more.

I went for a walk around the area open space, seeing what else I could find, and when I returned two were visible. Both were wide-eyed and looking cute as heck. Not far above them in the tree, mom was perched. Being a bit more seasoned, she paid me little attention beyond briefly opening her eyes and then going right back to sleep.

I have not done a good job checking my local owl nests lately as it has been ridiculously windy here on the Colorado Front Range and I just can’t deal with that stuff. Haha. Yesterday I did finally get by one of the nests and, sure enough, there was an owlet peering back at me (as well as mama).

Most likely there is more than one little one in there, hiding under mama. This isn’t a particularly good nest for photographs due to the distance and direction but it is still fun to see them.

That is what I said to myself last Friday during my after work walk. It just seemed like the right place for one.

I was stopping every 10 feet or so, scanning the dense trees and bushes each time. After a while, I uttered those words, turned to my right and there it was, not 15 feet away and staring me right in the face. I’m not sure who was more surprised, me or the owl!

I was far closer than what I like to be as I don’t like to upset the critters so I started backpedaling. As I did, I snapped a few pics of my new hidden friend and he took flight, giving me some decent flight shots. The owl then was kind enough to perch out in the open, giving me a few more captures.

Not wanting to startle it again, I left it there, happy for the chance, surprise encounter. I do suspect there is a nest somewhere in that spot but I will be darned if I can find it.

Well, I do get this a lot from my photo subjects but owls really seem to have the look down more than any other type of wildlife. 😉 

After work Friday I stopped by to check on my favorite owl nest as it shouldn’t be long before we see owlets. None were seen on this day although mama definitely seemed to be sitting higher in the cavity so I suspect they may have hatched but just weren’t ready to show themselves yet.

Of course mom gave me her trademark glare that I have been on the receiving end of many times. It took some work but I did find dad right nearby and he gave me a squinty look, seeming to size me up. I think I give my kids’ friends similar looks.

A look at two different owl mamas in their two very different homes. This past weekend we received a little snowstorm and that can be a challenge for nesting creatures this time of year. No matter the conditions, they of course must stay put and keep their eggs warm.

One great horned owl nest, as you can see, is quite exposed and when I visited with mama on Sunday, she had snow on her and, indeed, one eye was covered in the white stuff.

The other nest is inside of a broken tree’s cavity and sheltered by a canopy of branches above. There, that mama was staying relatively dry and unlike on my last visit, had situated herself to allow me a nice look at her pretty face.

Certainly, wildlife is built for these conditions but I can’t help but feel for them and worry about them and their eggs / babies.

Talk about camouflage! Check out how extraordinarily well this handsome dude’s plumage blends in with the poplar tree.

This is the same guy I shared a wide angle view of last week where it really showed how difficult it can be to spot these masters of hide-and-seek. This owl and his mate like this stand of trees for good reason. I have walked right by them a half dozen times before finally spotting them. It is a challenge for sure.

Right now, while he is free to roam, mama is in the nest sitting on eggs. I am looking forward to the little ones’ arrival next month.

Great horned owls are quite common, even in suburban areas. Finding them, however, is rarely easy – as these images show. These guys are masters at hiding and they have some pretty great camouflage as their plumage blends in well with trees.

This past weekend I took a friend to show him one of the mated pairs that I observe. As we approached the area, we stopped and were chatting about the area and the wildlife I have seen there. I glanced up and lo and behold, there was the male. It was sheer luck that I was able to pick him out as he blended in extraordinarily well in the massive, busy tree he was roosted in.

As for the female, I figured she was probably laying on eggs by now and I knew where she nested. Checking the tree cavity, if you didn’t know what to look for, you would never know she was in there. Just a few feathers of her back could be seen.

She’ll remain hunkered down in there for most of the next 4 to 5 weeks, incubating her eggs. Last year the pair fledged three, very cute owlets and I am hoping they have similar success this year.

Well, this was a bit of a surprise, not that a great horned owl is incubating right now but rather that it was in a spot I hadn’t expected.

This is the time of year when eggs are laid and mamas are sitting on their nests. However, this is a new nest and one I just happened to find by accident. I was wrapping up my photo drive on Saturday, mainly just driving home when I see two big “ears” sticking up from what used to be a red-tailed hawk nest.

That of course required a stop and, sure enough, those ears were ear tufts of a great horned owl that had taken over the hawk nest. Of course these guys never look happy, least of all when they are stuck sitting on a nest after a six inch snowstorm, something reflected in the image of the pretty lady. 😉 

Something you may not know… Great horned owls (and indeed, most owls) don’t build their own nests. Instead, they take over nests built by other raptors or choose hollowed out tree cavities. This can create conflicts when the previous occupant of the home finds a squatter has claimed their house as their own. Haha.