Great Horned Owlet Hiding In Plain Sight

Bob and I refrained from visiting the great horned owls in Markham, Ontario, Canada, for a few days. But we learned that the great horned owlet was becoming increasingly difficult to find.

Despite it being early evening, we decided to visit the last place we had seen the owls.

We found the male Great Horned Owl in his favorite tree.

On a tree limb about a hundred feet away, the female great horned owl had taken up a position within sight of the male.

The adult Great Horned Owls seemed quite relaxed, the female even sleeping off and on. It was reassuring to have both of them in close proximity, as it suggested that the owlet was nearby.

We decided to take another look for the owlet, and lo and behold, it had been sitting on a tree branch in full view the whole time, hiding in plain sight.

We were rather surprised that the owlet had chosen a branch much lower to the ground than in previous days.

On top of that, the branch appeared faulty. We were concerned that it would break under the additional weight of one of the adults when it arrived with food for the owlet.

From the time that we first laid eyes on the owlet, we could see a marked difference in it’s size. Its facial disk and plumicorns were developing nicely, and the owlet as we left was taking in all aspects of its quiet surroundings.

Frame To Frame – Bob and Jean