Friday, October 7, 2011

Great Horned Owl

The Great Horned is the third largest and most common Owl throughout North America. It seems kind of unusual for one of the larger species of birds to be the most common in the (owl) family, but then there's lots about owls that sets them apart from other birds. The "horns" are actually feathery tufts, and the owls coloration varies greatly by region.





Here are some fluffy Owlets almost ready to fledge.


The feathers underneath the beak of this second owlet make it look like the bird has a very creepy smile, as if he's contemplating all the mischief he will soon cause, or is thinking about eviscerating something with his Owl claws.

2 comments:

  1. You were certainly in the right spot at the right time!! When I am out trudging through the forest, which I do quite often, I'm always looking, but so far, no luck. Had the pleasure of a visit from a Barred Owl the other day that swooped in to check us out. When it flew off, we could hear its truncated call throughout the canopy. So eerie!! The only other sound was the frost melting from the early morning sun and dripping through the leaves like rain.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That sounds like a wonderful experience! Those obsidian eyes on the Barred Owl are breathtaking. I've never seen one myself, but from the pictures they seem so deep and dark that time stops while you stare into them.
    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete