On Wednesday, 03-30-22, I went out to spend some time with Hoot, the female, and Give a Hoot, the male, Great Horned Owls.
When I go out to observe, take photos and video, I will usually spend several hours with them. I’ve been photographing these two owls for over 1 1/2 years and have spent hundreds of hours with them.
While walking to the area there was some freezing rain/sleet falling. Once I got to the area Give a Hoot (GAH) gave three or four contacts hoots before I got set up on Hoot.
I could see GAH from where I was at so I could see him grooming and stretching. It was about 1730 hrs when I saw him expel a pellet then shortly afterwards he made a couple more contact Hoots.
There was also a turkey about 25 yards from me.
When GAH started doing more contact hoots, I saw Hoot doing some conversational chitters back to him.
Hoot started to feed the owlets, most likely a rabbit, that was already in the nest. Hoot can be seen ripping apart the prey with her body motions and then feeding the owlets. One of the owlets can be see with its eyes closed with the egg tooth.
Before she was finished feeding she lowered her wing over the owlet and got lower in the nest. When she stopped and looked to my right I looked in the same direction and saw a person coming our direction. Once it was safe for me to move I moved to a position of concealment. I waited for several minutes before this person came back by the nest before I walked back to the camera.
Hoot continued to watch/listen as this person was nearby. I stayed out with her another half hour. She didn’t resume feeding after this person left the area.
During the half hour afterwards I included a couple short clips of one of the deer that walked to about 10 yards from me.
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