A Journey's End

It started earlier this year.  A mother returned back to a nesting area as she has for the past 3 years.  3 eggs were laid in a very visible spot in the center of a school courtyard.  She would stay with those 3 eggs day and night until they hatched.

I watched and watched making sure everybody was okay.  At first most people didn't know about the owls. But as time went on, they would become the main attraction in the courtyard for everyone's viewing pleasure. In the past, most owlets died from her choice of "nest".  One survived last year.

The days would get warmer and the eggs would get closer to hatching.  Both owls went searching for food and brought it to the nest.

Several birders would also discover the delights of Great Horned Owls.  Sally and Robert would film these next shots.  The owls were vigilant and never left too far from the nest.  They would fly back and forth making their presence known.

Eventually, two of the 3 eggs would hatch.  And within a 3 week span, these birds would grow at an amazing speed. 

They began to peak their heads up.....and grow more.......

And out on the ledge they would go....ready to fledge.  And then at 5 PM, I received a call telling me that the owlets were gone.  My blood pressure went up.  Who took them?  The owlets were attracting a lot of attention.  Students were climbing over the sides of the square windows to get shots.  And the birds faced near 100 degree temps.  The odds were against the owlets and teenagers lacking common sense. But I held out hope for the owlets:)

I had a difficult night sleeping because there had been no communication whatsoever about the owlets getting rescued. It meant an early start to my day along with getting my AP, final exam stuff ready for next week. 

I arrived in the morning and discovered that the left hand of our school didn't let the right hand know what was going on.  A group of teachers took it to the next level without contacting the rest of us who had also been watching the owlets.  I had been contacting people all over town like the Desert Museum or Wildlife Rescue in case something had happened to these owlets.  When a student had thrown a ball into their nest area, I nearly flipped! ... And there were signs of dehydration.  There were also too many people watching these amazing birds and everyone kept them up during the day.  They were afterall famous.

So I went to all those involved who decided to go to the next step and make sure that the Wildlife Rehab group  was legit.  And they were.  But again, there was miscommunication.  The group involved did the right thing but made an impulse decision without all the facts.  The Refuge believed the parents to be dead.  When I told the person operating the organization that the parents were quite alive, there was a pause. But with everything said and done, I am still relieved that the owlets were "rescued".  Getting to school everyday was a stress for me because you didn't know what the news would be.....but now, I have a number and contact to check up on them.  I will have one more report in July on the owlets as the rescue organization will be presenting at the Tucson Botanical Gardens(where I volunteer as a docent).  TBG is doing a special focus on birds and gardens this year because there has been an increase in birding around our area.  Incredible stuff.

So I'd like to tell the Mom and Dad Owl.  "Your babies (from my phone call) are with two other rescued Great Horned Owlets and they are doing well."  One of the owlets would have died for sure if they hadn't been rescued.  Both are eating plenty of food and will be re released back into the area in fall of this year. They are also certified with Arizona Game and Fish.  So this story has a happy ending.  But as the saying goes, where one journey ends, another begins......:)

I have so much more to share with you all.  Sometimes I can't keep up with all this work, but I do it because it's something I definitely love:)  A lot of exciting stuff coming up! More tomorrow....

A Mother's Dedication

 Today's post is a special one.  When birders work together and exchange info, magic can happen. Here is the latest from Momma Owl at my school.  And today's post is one of cooperating parties. You will see 3 different photographers in one post. It's the second time we have had a guest photographer(s) at Las Aventuras.  The first 4 pics today are brought to you by Sally and her partner in crime Robert. If you are interested in purchasing photos, please let me know and I'll send them a message.  I'd like to thank them both for allowing me to share their special photos of this magnificent bird with you all.

 I'd like to mention how I met them both before going into some details surrounding the nesting of a Great Horned Owl.   Many times on hikes around the state and the world, I have come across a lot of special birders/wildlife enthusiasts.  Sometimes it's plants.  Sometimes it's birds.  Sometimes it's native tribes. And sometimes it's all the above...and more!  Well on one of my birding hikes, I met these two wonderful people on the trails near Sweetwater Wetlands.  They had a great sense of humor and were really fun to be around.  Exchanging tips, we went on our little adventures.  Sally and Robert went to find the Great Horned Owl and I went to find the Rookery of the Great Blue Herons.

 The next day would have us meet up again and I was excited that they both were able to spot the Momma Owl at my school site.  If you look into the nest closely, you'll see lots of food for the owlets which are located on the right hand side next to the egg.  As you will discover, this clutch fits right into the "normal" number of owlets found in a nest. The food is either A. for Momma B. for the little ones or C. All of them.  My concern is that the owlets stay in their "nest" as they get larger.

I wasn't really into birding that much over the past several years and I knew that we had owls all around our school during various times of the year.  Now that I am into the hobby, I am more connected to what's going on around the school property.   Momma Owl is able to fly off if too many students are present.  The owlets are not so fortunate and I hope they are not scared out of the nest by people.  We have about 30 some days left of school until summer break.

 On my breaks from lectures, I grabbed my camera to observe our Momma Great Horned Owl.  She is a fascinating bird and highly protective of her "nest" ....a concrete block.  I've been observing her behaviors during the day and watching our staff and students interact with this bird.

 There are 3(2 hatched/1 not) that she protects day and night.  And she's smart.  There is an open square above her head that allows for people to peek through and watch.  She has been gathering items and putting them over the squares to keep debris or sun from harming the owlets.  People are aware of the nest and protected status of this owl, but it would pain you to know that some students don't care.  But there are a lot of people who love her and also keep an extra eye open for those who would do harm.

 Of course she does her job.  When things get too close, she flies out of her block during lunch and soars above the students as they stare at her wingspan.  The bell rings, students head back to class and she returns back to the nest.  But what impresses me the most about her behavior is how devote she is to her eggs.

 Great Horned Owls are some of the earliest-breeding birds in North America. They breed in late January or early February and are often heard calling to each other in the fall, starting in October. They choose a mate by December and are often heard duetting before this time. For owls found in more tropical climates, the dates of the breeding season are somewhat undefined. They often take over a nest used by some other large bird, sometimes adding feathers to line the nest but usually not much more.

There are usually 2 eggs per clutch, with a clutch ranging in size from 1 to 5 eggs (5 is very rare). The average egg width is 1.8 in (46.5 mm), the average length is 2.2 in (55.2 mm) and the average weight is 1.8 oz (51 g). The incubation period ranges from 30 to 37 days, averaging 33 days. Brooding is almost continuous until the offspring are about 2 weeks old, after which it decreases. Young owls move onto nearby branches at 6 weeks and start to fly about a week later. The offspring have still been seen begging for food in late October (5 months after leaving the nest) and most do not separate from their parents until right before they start to reproduce for the next clutch (usually December). Birds may not breed for another year or two, and are often vagrants ("floaters") until they establish their own territories. 

These are the most recent photos taken by a student at IRHS as of 4/11/12

Stay tuned for more updates.  I'm a watchin':)  I'm on pins and needles people and I'm not even a parent! There is one Ironwood Tree nearby.  Nature can be difficult to predict so think good thoughts for the success of these owlets.  Thank you Robert and Sally for your great pictures.  More tomorrow....

What a HOOT!

Great Horned Owl

 No words today.  Just enjoy the series of pics.  Sometimes you wish a moment could go on forever.  My hands twitched with anticipation as I held my camera.  The Great Horned Owl.

 Have a good weekend!

After Dark

 Excitement.  Thrills. Chills.  In the middle of nowhere.  On a lead.  Couldn't sleep the night before because the info was fresh off the wire.  This post today is something I'm very proud of.  The photos aren't the best, but I'm posting them anyway.  It also marks a new level of birding for me.

 Last night I heard the news about some nesting Great Horned Owls near the Tanque Verde Wash.  BUT it was a chance opportunity and yesterday I had a crazy day at work.  They were on my mind all day.  Would I make it after school was out to find this area?  I didn't sleep all night with the news.  What is wrong with me??!!!!  Why was this so important??  Because it was a dare for myself.

 A challenge.  Detective work.  Knowing the city.  Having a deadline.  I worked and right afterwards, I drove an hour and a half to this location.  I know my plants and the person gave me the tree that they were near. Find the Cottonwood. I don't know if I illegally parked. I just know that I had 30 minutes of sunlight left! I crossed my fingers. I rushed.  My heart beating....

 In the dark skies, I heard the unmistakable "hooo hoooo hoooo".  Dark.  Eery.  Ominous.  Adrenaline rush extreme.  I slowed my pace and listened more....homing in on the sounds.  I walked closer and closer until I saw a dark shadow fly across the ominous sky.  The thrill.  The EXCITEMENT! And the payoff....

I almost didn't bring my camera thinking it would be dark by the time I got there, but I remembered Murphy's Law. Don't bring the camera, owls will appear. Good call on my part. The only goal tonight was to try and locate the general vicinity for a potential weekend shoot in daylight.

 I came home tonight with the biggest smile on my face.  I love Tucson.  Even living here after all these years, it still thrills and surprises me.

The Great Horned Owl

It doesn't get any better than this. More tomorrow....