I saw this group of neighbors in the park when I was out walking. Ruth Anne, our tireless park volunteer work crew coordinator, flagged me over. A Mecklenburg County ornithologist was out checking on our park owl boxes and confirmed that each of our two boxes has a nesting female Barred Owl. He filled us in on some interesting owl info. Barred Owls generally lay their eggs between mid-February and early March. A brood usually consists of 1-4 eggs, most often two. The male will do all of the hunting while the female is 'on the eggs'. The baby owls will hatch in about 30 days, and are generally 'fully feathered' in 4-5 weeks. It is not uncommon for immature owls to tumble to the ground from nests. Downy owls can generally use their beaks and claws to climb back into the tree. If a young, uninjured owl is found on the ground, the best course of action is to place them on a limb. The parents will deliver food to it and warn predators away. Once mature, the young owls will strike out in search of their own territory, generally not more than a couple of miles from their original home.
Three Good Things:
1. A well timed walk
2. Owls
3. People who put their love for nature into action
How fun! I majored in Biology and my children rolled their eyes mercilessly on our walks whenever there was a learning opportunity. I think those dogs are related to them. Hope you get to see the owlets when they fledge!
