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From Brenda Greaves

Mr. Sandman Barred Owl Polk County lowa USA February 2025

"Owls remind us that silence can be the loudest wisdom." ~Unknown

-7 degrees out this morning and this barred owl had found a spot in the sun to soak in some warmth. He spent most of his time sleeping, but occasionally opened an eye to wink at me. He woke when a blue jay and a couple of crows put up a racket, but they seemed to not see him as they flew overhead. Snowfall from yesterday's storm blanketed the branches behind him and made him blend in even more. I spotted him in the trees at a distance and then was able to snap a few more pics closer. He didn't seem to mind that I was nearby.or perhaps he was just so cold he decided not to leave his sunny spot.

From Ryan Humphrey

I may be plotting, but I have this here halo, so don't worry 😉

From DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center

While we are very aware that baby season is approaching, our patient of the week took us by surprise with their arrival. As far as we can remember, this is the earliest that we have ever received a great horned owlet. Not to mention, this is a big baby! We estimate this owlet is already a few weeks old. Great horned owls are the earliest breeding birds and are often the first species of baby that we see each spring (tree squirrels are the other). These large owls start their courtship and mating in winter and eggs hatch throughout spring. By the time the young are learning to hunt, there is an abundance of prey as the local mammals have caught up with their own breeding cycle.

Great horned owls may not be good at building nests, often reusing nests of other species that are flimsy or too small, but they are good parents. They will even accept foster owlets to raise among their own. Whenever possible, we will attempt to return healthy owlets back to their parents and even sometimes install a durable nestbox for their use. Unfortunately, this baby is not a candidate to return to their nest and will remain in care for several months before they will be ready for release. This won't be our only great horned owlet of the year, and perhaps this premature patient will serve as an older sibling and role model to the owlets we expect to see arriving in the coming weeks.

From Wild Care Oklahoma

Great horned owls! They are looking for mates, selecting nesting sites, and will soon be laying their eggs.

Great horned owl courtship began in December. Starting at dusk and throughout the night, you may have been lucky to hear males calling out vigorously in hopes that a female will be attracted to their calls, or you may have even heard the response calls from their prospective mates. Typically mating for life, they declare a territory together in which to live and raise their young.

Like many owls, great horned owls don't usually make their own nests. Instead, they takeover stick nests built by red-tailed hawks or other raptors. If an old nest is not available, they'll nest in tree cavities, abandoned buildings, and ledges.

Once the pair pick their nest, the female lays from one to four eggs anywhere from two to seven days apart. This means the babies hatch over several days and can result in siblings being quite different in their size and development when they are nestlings. The female incubates the eggs, and her mate brings her the prey he catches each night-wildlife romance! Both parents care for their young.

Great horned owls along with great gray owls (found in the northwestern part of the U.S., Canada, and Alaska) are the two largest owl species in North America

From Bill Diller

Not sure what's going on with this bird - It's a snowy owl, but I've never seen one with this coloration. Photo taken today, 1/24/25, in Huron County, Michigan. Note; I did not manipulate this photo in any way, except normal processing. The color has not been enhanced or changed in any way. Very strange coloring.

Link to yesterday's post on this owl

From Catherine Woolley Atkinson

Great Horned Owl

Charleston, SC

From Peter Accordino

Barred Owls in Florida.

Nikon Z8, Z600mm f6.3 37

From Center for Wildlife

We thought we could all use a little love and celebration of beauty today... Did you know that raptors like barred owls sometimes have hearts on their "skirt feathers"? Though we got snow in the Northeast and it is still very much winter, species like great horned owls and Eastern gray squirrel and soon barred owls and pileated woodpeckers will begin their courtship rituals.

In our region, barred owl pairs are known for mating for life, but they do separate during the harshest hunting season. Typically during late Nov- Feb, much of the prey in our region are hibernating or have migrated, and it is difficult for even their large 200-400 acre hunting range to support the winter diet of both members of the breeding pair. When the light extends, things begin to thaw and return from hibernation and migration, they will come back together as a pair. That's when we have the unique opportunity to hear the unique calls of this well camouflaged species.Courtship includes the vocalizations, and also behaviors like perching next to each other and swaying or bobbing their heads together.

We have admitted over 90 barred owls since November alone, and you can see from the map on this post that major roadways that cut through habitat have a big impact on our local owls. We recommend keeping food and trash out of roadways, using alternatives to rodenticides, supporting your local land trust, and also attending your town Planning, Conservation Commission and Zoning Board meetings to understand where development is being proposed in your town to help these amazing animals that also prevent the spread of human disease by managing rodent populations.

From Pocono Wildlife Rehab Center

In retrospect, Owlivia probably would have preferred a heart-shaped box full of mice, but we like to think she appreciates her Valentine's Day swag nonetheless.

Had to run in and grab a last minute card and I saw these two.

From Huron Daily Tribune - Feb 13, 2025

Snowy owls frequently migrate from their arctic home to this area in search of food. It’s not unusual to see this white ball of feathers soaring through the skies over Huron County’s open fields during the winter months. Frequently they can be spotted along country roads sitting atop utility poles or in trees. They are predators on the lookout for small animals or birds to sustain them through the winter months, before heading north when the weather warms up.

This winter a certain snowy owl has garnered attention because of its unusual coloration. Normally white, this owl is noticeably brighter, sporting a rather jaunty reddish/orange appearance. It has been seen numerous times over the last few weeks, and made a splash on social media, causing photographers from as far away as Detroit, Port Huron, Flint, and Grand Rapids to travel to Huron County in hopes of spotting the snowy owl with the colorful anomaly.

Because of its coloration, the owl’s presence has been reported to wildlife authorities, who seem to be at a loss as to why it sports such brightly colored feathers. Reasonable guesses range from it being a natural mutation to some sort of human contact, whether accidental or intentional.

Among the human contact theories are that it was perched and drenched with fire retardant in proximity to a wildfire in Canada. Another theory is that it was perched and drenched with deicer at an airport runway. Other theories are that it was accidently sprayed with paint while near bridge construction or marked by an unknown but authorized scientific entity in order track it more easily.

No matter what the cause, this brightly colored snowy owl is a beautiful bird. Someday, the cause of its colorful anomaly may be known. In the meantime, people are encouraged to respect it, and let it exist peacefully, as it seems to be healthy and living the life of a ‘normal’ snowy owl.

From Ron Richey

Northern Hawk Owl today in Central Alberta, taken with a Canon R5 and the RF 200-800mm. Second shot is with an 85mm to show how well the 200-800mm does.