Fuzzy-Wuzzy was an Owlet

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Mama Owl, who has lived in the nest box continually since early March,

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…moved out recently, though she’s always nearby and vigilant.  I knew that her moving out  meant the box has become too crowded with owlets.   Daddy Owl keeps watch either in the Mountain Laurel tree or in a neighbor’s tree.

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Earlier today, Mama was alert near her nest box,

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…keeping her keen eyes on me,

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…but also on the shenanigans of squirrels and blue jays.

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She’s a beautiful bird, though I wouldn’t want to be at the caught-end of those talons.

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Mama laid their first egg on March 6, the other 4 followed on an every-other-day schedule.  I assume that all have hatched and today this little cutey made his/her first appearance in the big, wide world.  Watching this new chick was smile-inducing and a nice gift to me today.

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This owlet is too small yet to be out of the box and in the tree, so I hope its siblings don’t inadvertently push it out–that has happened to other owlets that we’ve hosted in the box(es).  This little one was very curious about a new view of the world, but can’t fly, nor would it survive a fall from the box.

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Welcome little owl–and be careful!

 

35 thoughts on “Fuzzy-Wuzzy was an Owlet”

  1. Oh Tina, wonderful news! Great photos, the new owlet is much fluffier than I had imagined, I hope all goes well and they stay safe until ready to fledge. I bet you must be tickled pink with your new arrivals.

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  2. Isn’t it?! It’s a hard life out there, so all I can do is hope for the best. I have to admit that I’m a bit nervous about this little fella, just because it’s not particularly shy about me making kissy faces at it and it’s hanging out of the hole too much for my comfort. Perhaps Mom and/or Dad will have a talk with baby tonight about safety. 🙂 The owlets are really fluffy–so, so cute!

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    • Thanks, Christina. It is a great temptation–I run out every chance I get to find Mom and Dad and now, Baby–who I can’t find this morning, but I’m sure is higher in the tree. I’ll keep looking!

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  10. What wonderful fun to have happening up above in the canopy over your gardens. I too would have a hard time not just sitting and watching all the live long day. Such adorably fuzzy distractions! No flower could possibly compete with those feathery faces. Looking forward to more reports on their shenanigans as the little owls begin to explore their world further.

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    • It is wonderful–so grateful that the first is out of the box and looking for more, soon. It’s hard not to constantly be on the lookout for owl happenings, but I do attempt to restrain myself. 🙂

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  11. Gorgeous! I love owls and have had the privilege to see two close up, one here in our garden, one in my family home – in a tree just outside the sitting room window one evening, but it’s fairly rare here to see any in daylight. And I’ve never seen any owlets except in photos. You’re so lucky!

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    • I do feel so fortunate, Val. They’re so interesting to watch, the Screech Owls. Each year has been a bit different and I’ve learned so much about their habits and lives–a real education.

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  12. This is fantastic news. Your photos are a delight. (Love the one of the Mama watching for squirrels and bluejays). Hope that all goes well with the new fuzzballs leaving the nest. What is a normal success rate for screech owlets reaching adulthood?

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    • It is good news, though I haven’t seen baby today. These little things can blend in quite well. They are little fuzzballs, aren’t they? I think their lives are rather short lived, though I suspect that this couple may be the same couple from last year. One of the articles I read once about Eastern Screech Owls stated: live hard, die young. There were five eggs and I don’t know how many have hatched or how many will leave the nest box. If all survived the fledgling period, my guess is that only one or two would survive to sexual maturity. It’s a tough world out there, though they are highly adapted to urban life.

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    • Haha! That’s a great idea. I was fortunate to watch baby leave the nest box just after sundown last night. I’ve never witnessed that before. Daddy flew to the babe with what looked like a worm dangling from his beak. He trilled at the baby and baby hopped right out and onto a branch. I watched the baby until about 9pm last night. I’m fairly sure that baby is in the tree, because mama is watching nearby, but I haven’t been able to see baby yet today. There are no other fuzzy faces looking out the window today, though. Maybe tomorrow….

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