March 3, 2013

Peek-a-Boo


It's another first! Yesterday I showed you my first kestrel sighting and today I'm sharing my first great horned owl. This is an adorable baby peeking over the edge of his nest in Punta Gorda, located between Sarasota and Ft. Myers.  See his cute little ear tufts?  The last time I was visiting the bald eagle nest in North Ft. Myers, a freelance photographer tipped me off to this nest. The owls took it over in December when a bald eagle couple, which built the nest years ago, failed to return.  That's the modus operandi for the great horned owl -- they occupy unclaimed eagle nests, which is rather smart, I think.  Who wants to build a nest from scratch if you don't have to?  I knew exactly where this nest was located because I visited it three years ago and took these photos of the bald eagle family.  Back to the owls.  This little guy was such a treat to see.  He was just a big poof of fluffy feathers -- just adorable.  Unfortunately, I don't have much time to write, so I'll leave you with the promise of more owl pics to come.  That reminds me.  We're wading into March which is the busiest month of the year for me. So, if the SDP appearance becomes sporadic just know we'll eventually get back to posting as usual.  Happy Sunday!

12 comments:

Lorraine said...

I'm just bobbing up and down in my seat with glee over here. I've never seen an owl in the wild. How wonderful!

sweffling said...

Aaaaaaah:) Sitting here with a great big grin. Lovely!

Michelle said...

How cool is that?! I love owls.

Leslie D. said...

Love him!

Kathy said...

I'm beginning to think of you as the bird baby lady!

Brian King said...

What a great photo! I'm more than a bit jealous!

Kay said...

We only get quick flashes of adult owls when we walk at dusk. What a treat to see a fluffy little young 'un.

Lowell said...

Owls are one of my favorite birds. This is a really nice capture of the wee one. I'll look forward to more owl shots!

LONDONLULU said...

What a treat, aw little guy! (Also, your prior bald eagle photos are convincing me I need a 'real' camera:) Good luck with the March crunch!

LOLfromPasa said...

Delightful and so sweet somehow! Don't work too hard...!

Johnny Nutcase said...

Gahhh! Cutie cutester! Love it :)

PerthDailyPhoto said...

What a great shot SRQ, for many reasons. Obviously the baby owl is adorable peeking out at you, but how fascinating to see the size of the eagle nest. Amazing creatures!