A great horned owl and her owlet enjoy a ‘moment’ at their nest a few weeks ago. It was very sweet and seems to be a very appropriate picture for Mother’s Day.

Whether wildlife or human, the matriarch of the family is the glue that binds all together. In their roles as protector and provider, they are invaluable and held in high esteem – as they should be.

Just as this owlet looks up to its mom, so too do I to mine. Lord knows that without her, I would not be the man I am today and I am forever grateful for her. I love you, Ma!

Probably the best shot I have ever gotten of an owl doing this. Watching owls can oftentimes be a bit boring as they do tend to sit for long periods of time. Sometimes though, they put on a bit of a show and such was the case this past Friday evening.

Thunderstorms were rolling by and the wind was howling quite a bit. One of the owlets had hopped from the nest and was across the trail while the other two remained in the nest. This meant mom and multiple spots to watch and she was keeping her head on a swivel. That gave me some nice looks including this.

Check out this pair of cuties!

This is from an absolutely fantastic great horned owl nest not far from where I live. I don’t know for a fact but I suspect the parents are the same ones I have been watching for a few years now.

They originally took over a traditional stick nest from some red tailed hawks. Last year, the hawks evicted the owls and now this year the owls took up residence nearby in this tree cavity. It is an absolutely beautiful spot for pics and out of sight of prying eyes that don’t know it is there.

Judging by their size, these little owlets will likely be hopping out of the nest and climbing the surrounding trees any day now. I of course am not looking forward to that as they then become much harder to find and photograph.

My goodness it has been an absolute treat to watch and document this great horned owl family this spring.

This is the second year I have known about the nest and supposedly the fourth year for the parents in this spot. Despite being heavily trafficked, they thrive in the environment and all the humans around provide the benefit of keeping predators away.

This past Thursday, the evening light was perfect at times and the owls were very active. A squirrel made the mistake of getting too close to the nest and mom leaped into action, chasing the offender away.

Afterwards, she hopped to the nest and spent some quality time with the kids. There are in fact three owlets although only two are visible in this image.

This little owlet did just that. Mom, well, she didn’t seem to care for me as much. 😀 

A still photo to go along with the video I posted yesterday. There are two little ones in there although only one is seen in this image.

With another blizzard set to hit the Colorado Front Range tomorrow, I can’t help but worry about these and the other nesting raptors. Invariably, some will not survive and while that is simply nature at work, it does not make it any easier. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed all my feathered friends weather the storm okay. 

A female great horned owl peering out from her nest in a tree cavity in suburbia. I was very excited to learn this pretty lady had again made her home in this spot.

Last year I learned about it just as her three owlets were fledging so I only had about a week with them before they left. This year I should be able to document them through the season which will be just awesome.

It is a very unique location and one that should give some great pics in the weeks to come.

It’s not too often you are lucky enough to find one of these creatures of the night out in the open. On this day a couple weeks ago though, this particular owl had not settled into its daytime hiding space just yet.

The sun was starting to come over the horizon and it was in a very visible spot at Jackson Lake State Park, Colorado. Light was a bit dim but there was enough to get some nice captures of it as it looked around.

These owls are common across all of North America and are the type of owl often depicted in storybooks. During the day they are usually sleeping but at night they come alive and hunt with amazing accuracy in the dark.

I received a message from a Facebook fan about a great horned owl that was hanging out not far from where I live. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to go have a peek.

I found the one she mentioned pretty easily but figured there was probably another nearby and perhaps a nest as well. I never did find a nest but I did find another owl in a tree stand about 30 yards from the first.

The first owl couldn’t hardly keep its eyes open and largely ignored me. The second though was very alert although I suspect that was more due to a nearby squirrel than it was for me.

I truly appreciated getting the word about these fantastic creatures and the tipster earned herself a free print from me. If someone gives me information that leads to pics, I always figure that is the least I can do. So, now you know how to get one of my pics for free! What do you got for me? 😉

The final stop on my photo outing this past Sunday was to check on a pair of great horned owls in a suburban park.

On this day, they had opted for a different tree than the previous one I had seen them in but it actually provided better viewing. Well, about as good of viewing as you could hope for with these notoriously shy creatures.

This one was the most easily spotted, something which it didn’t seem to particularly appreciate. It was a bit surprised to find someone watching it but once it ascertained I wasn’t a threat, settled down and went back to sleep.

As you’re looking at this pic, check out the owl’s talons. Quite impressive and certain to do some damage.