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.
