Owl Family Reunited

A surprise was waiting for me when I went to check on the Great Horned Owls yesterday evening, and of course I wanted to inform you about that at once, but unfortunately, Blogger was down for a very long time - the "fallen" owlet that had been taken to the Bird Rescue Center last week's Wednesday was back!!! I had thought that they would release it when it was much bigger, but I guess that it was worth a try to reunite it with his family. Thus, it can learn all the life skills it will need to survive from its mom.

It was sitting in this tree and was obviously quite tired - and hungry, I think. It was released the night before and it seems that Mama Owl hadn't fed it yet. I was a bit worried that its parents would not accept it back to the family. Here's a look through our spotting scope:

Yep, with a good point-and-shoot camera you can take decent pictures through a spotting scope! We let a woman with her iPhone take a picture this way and that one turned out nice as well. So if you ever have a chance to do that, give it a try.

Mama Owl and the other owlet were still perching on the eucalyptus tree, their "home tree".

With the half moon behind the tree I thought it was worth a shot, even though it didn't turn out very well. But moon and owls just go together, don't they?

This morning I returned to see how the rescue owlet was doing. I was hoping that Mama Owl would take it in again.

I had a hard time finding the owls except for the dad who was sitting in his usual spot. Then I discovered Mama Owl and one of the owlets who turned out to be the bigger one, not the rescued one.  That one I spotted a little bit later high up in a redwood tree. It was hopping around, jumping from branch to branch, spreading its wings - and then it lost its balance... oh dear... was there another drama unfolding?

It was hanging upside down, flapping its wings until it lost its grip and trundled down - to the next branch where it flipped and sat upright again. Thank heaven! It's not that easy to fall down a redwood tree because of all its branches that are in the way - inconvenient for us photographers, but a life-safer for owls. I prefer it that way.

The owlet finally moved closer to the trunk of the tree where it seemed to settle down - and shortly after that Mama Owl came over and perched nearby, only three feet away. So she does care for her lost baby. It was good to see that.