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.
