15 January 2024
Nice horned owls (Bubo virginianus) by no means construct a nest. As a substitute they take over a big stick nest that anyone else constructed — that of a red-tailed hawk, osprey or bald eagle. Preferably the unique proprietor isn’t provide on the time, which is typically the case as a result of nice horned owls are the earliest to nest(*).
In Pennsylvania they declare a nest as early as mid December and lay eggs as early as 22 January. By the point the unique proprietor discovers the owls in place of abode, it’s typically too past due to make a fuss. Nice horned owls are robust and assault silently at night time.
There’s an previous bald eagle nest on digital camera on the Hilton Head Island Land Consider which eagles have no longer reclaimed since they misplaced two eaglets there. As a substitute a couple of significant horned owls took over the nest and the feminine is already incubating two eggs.
Watch the nest at the Hilton Head Island Land Consider Raptorcam. Practice their newest information on Hilton Head Island Land Consider’s Fb web page.
3 years in the past our personal Hays eagles had a perfect horned owl downside. Right here’s a commute down reminiscence lane:
In February and March 2021 a perfect horned owl confused the Hays bald eagles, it sounds as if seeking to chase them away even once they have been incubating eggs. The owl went as far as to silently knock the male eagle off his roost at the night time of two March! In any case the Hays eagles prevailed.
(*) There’s just one chicken in Pennsylvania that nests previous than a perfect horned owl and that’s as it nests 12 months a 12 months (or 366 right through this intercalary year). Click on right here to look who it’s.
p.s. Because of Mary DeVaughn for sending me information of the HHI Raptorcam.