Reader Greg Geisler sent some additional photos of Western Screech Owls (Megascops kennicottii), with bonus chicks! His notes are indented:
You may recall the photos of the adult Western Screech Owl I sent a while back that you posted. This weekend we noticed some furry little heads poking out of the roosting box when mom wasn’t sitting there. There are at least 2 young ones inside, and I managed to get a few decent photos and a short video before they ducked back down into the box. The male sits diligently in a nearby tree during the day and we see him swooping in and out at night with prey he has captured and delivers to the box. The female, when not in the box, sits in a different adjacent tree and keeps an eye on it. We have seen the male dive bomb a squirrel and bluejay who came too close to the box, so he’s being a good protector!
The roosting box:
This chick looks a little peaked:
Here’s one adult from the previous post:
And Greg sent a short movie as well:
Great photos. Another case of, build it and they will come.
Owls are terrific! Good record of an experience I’ll envy you for. The chick with the half closed eyes looks like a sleepy bank teller. Maybe Mr. Magoo.
Great pictures! The first seems to be before and after coffee picture.
Very nice! Several of the pictures are especially striking, like the 3rd one down.
Fantastic shots! Two of them need some anthropomorphic text; those facial expressions are hilarious, though I hope the squinty one is just world weary and jaded, rather than sickly. Do let us know if they both make it to fledgling state.
Hi! i’m megan, greg’s wife. not only did 2 successfully fledge – 4 did!! At this moment, and after a couple nervous days of them hopping around on the ground, 3 of them are way up in backyard trees with mom and dad close by. the runt of the pack is in another tree up high. I’m hoping he can join the pack soon.
They are all being fed by dad nightly. It’s been a true pleasure and delight to be able to walk out my back door and go ‘birding’ with binoculars and camera this past week. Hurrah nature, hurrah owls!
So so great to see such wonderful photos.
Those babies are just unbelieveable. They don’t look real, more like something from The Muppets-
Haha – that’s it exactly. Muppets.
Thank you, Jerry for this wonderful series each day. Thank you Greg! Thank you owls.
What gorgeous pics, and what cute chicks! Thank you!