Owls 1

This is my favourite Great Horned Owl family, whom I check on fairly regularly. I was so disappointed when I went to the park the other day, as there was no sign of Mom or the new baby in the nest. I could see that a lot more roadworks had been going on in the area, including the small road that passes immediately below their nest. My concern was that the owls had finally been forced to move. I wandered through the grove of trees to see if there was any sign of Dad, who always sits in a tree keeping watch over the nearby nest. There he was and then I suddenly noticed Mom sitting two trees away. I raised my eyes almost to the top of the VERY tall tree she was sitting in - and there was the new baby! I would guess that maybe the baby has only been flying for a couple of days. These are NOT my best owl photos, LOL, but I wanted an up-to-date photo of each owl for my own record. Note: Dad seems to be contentedly sleeping, while Mom is wide awake and making sure that the new addition to the family was safe! I always wonder where their young one from last year moved on to. I guess they never return "home" to visit once they have moved on? (Thanks, Doug, for taking the time to lighten my three photos - it motivated me to try to do a similar lightening of this one -so far - myself!. At least you can now see the eyes).

Here is a poor, lightened photo of the new baby Great Horned Owl from the family that I watch closely. All the closer photos I took today turned out really useless - this one is the "best ." My camera just won't handle shots taken in amongst the trees, especially on a grey, dull day like today. What a mess there is on the ground everywhere - lots of downy feathers from this little guy/gal (can anyone tell which it is??), feathers from birds that have been eaten, a dead whole sparrow, and of course white droppings everywhere. I actually saw Mom fly across the grove of trees and back, just as I arrived. She sat a few branches higher than Baby, in the same tree - but a different tree from a few days ago.

Here is a somewhat better photo of the new baby Great Horned Owl from the family that I watch closely. All the closer photos I took today turned out really useless, though I am posting one of them with some lightening added. My camera just won't handle shots taken in amongst the trees, especially on a grey, dull day like today. This shot was taken a bit further away and the lighting did improve. What a mess there is on the ground everywhere - lots of downy feathers from this little guy/gal (can anyone tell which it is??), feathers from birds that have been eaten, a dead whole sparrow, and of course white droppings everywhere. I actually saw Mom fly across the grove of trees and back, just as I arrived. She sat a few branches higher than Baby, in the same tree - but a different tree from a few days ago. Happy Feathery Friday!

Found "my" baby Great Horned Owl on the same branch as its mother this afternoon, maybe two feet apart. It seemed alert when I first arrived but very quickly its head began to droop , its eyes closed and its head fell further and further forward over the branch. Looked all fluffed up again, after experiencing rain and snow the past few days. Saw a couple of brilliant orange and black little birds in the trees nearby - Baltimore Orioles, so that was exciting, too.

I was so thrilled that we found this gorgeous Great Horned Owl down on the McIntyre Ranch, in southern Alberta! It had been seen flying amongst the Hoodoos and when it came to rest, I was able to get a few photos of it. It was the last thing I had ever expected to see in that landscape. Made my day! On Saturday, 26th May 2007, I joined a group of Field Naturalists (NOT to be confused with naturalists, i.e. nudists!) on a day's bus trip down to the Milk River Ridge area in southern Alberta. About two years ago, a friend had told me about the McIntyre Ranch, and his passion about the Ranch and how it was being run on a "balance of/with nature" method rubbed off on me. A trip was planned a year ago, but torrential rain made it impossible for a large bus to drive on the Ranch land and the trip was cancelled. Now, a year later, I have finally stood on Ranch land, breathed in its fresh air, listened to its silence, admired some of its flora and fauna, met its General Manager (Ralph Thrall 111) and taken some photos that don't do any justice at all to the immense beauty of this special land. For anyone interested in this very precious and protected area, the Ranch has a great website ( www.mcintyreranch.com ). Also, two documentaries have been made. One, by Janet and John Foster, is called "A Passion for Prairie". The other is called "The Gift". Both are superb. "The McIntyre Ranch has changed very little since it was established in 1894. The 'balance of nature' philosophy that guided fifty-three years of McIntyre ownership has continued since Ralph Thrall bought the 87 section property from the McIntyre estate in 1948 (one section equals 640 acres, 1581 hectares or one square mile). Twelve sections that were once farmed have been seeded back to tame grasses for grazing while the other seventy-five sections remain in their native condition. Several factors are considered in order to maintain and enhance the healthy range condition. Appropriate stocking rates (number of cattle) in conjunction with duration and time of year grazing, water requirements, natural shelter, strategic fencing and salt distribution all must be considered for effective balanced grazing. Our goal of achieving excellence with all aspects associated with the McIntyre Ranch will be worked at while functioning in harmony with nature. Sustainable ranching has been and continues to be the main objective of this company. Ralph A. Thrall passed away in 1978. The Ranch is presently owned by Ralph A. Thrall Jr. and managed by Ralph A. Thrall III (General Manager 1990), Duane Spitzer (Controller 1973) and Jamie Christie (Foreman 2001)." From the Ranch website. UPDATED on 30th October 2011, from the Lethbridge Herald Newspaper. I noticed that quite a number of people were looking at my photo via Google yesterday and today. I was greatly saddened when I read the reason. "MR. RALPH AMBROSE THRALL JR. of Lethbridge, beloved husband of Mrs. Catherine C. Thrall, passed away in Calgary on Friday, October 28, 2011 at the age of 78 years." I send my condolences to the family and friends of Ralph Thrall Jr.. A friend and I met this gentleman just the one time, at an exhibition at the Alberta College of Art, about the McIntyre Ranch, but a group of us was privileged to spend a wonderful day on the Ranch back on 26th May 2007. I know that there will be a great number of people offering support to the family at this very difficult time and keeping them in their thoughts and prayers.

Another photo of the totally unexpected Great Horned Owl that we saw in the Hoodoos on the McIntyre Ranch, southern Alberta. On Saturday, 26th May 2007, I joined a group of Field Naturalists (NOT to be confused with nudists!) on a day's bus trip down to the Milk River Ridge area in southern Alberta. About two years ago, a friend had told me about the McIntyre Ranch, and his passion about the Ranch and how it was being run on a "balance of/with nature" method rubbed off on me. A trip was planned a year ago, but torrential rain made it impossible for a large bus to drive on the Ranch land and the trip was cancelled. Now, a year later, I have finally stood on Ranch land, breathed in its fresh air, listened to its silence, admired some of its flora and fauna, met its General Manager (Ralph Thrall 111) and taken some photos that don't do any justice at all to the immense beauty of this special land. For anyone interested in this very precious and protected area, the Ranch has a great website ( www.mcintyreranch.com ). Also, two documentaries have been made. One, by Janet and John Foster, is called "A Passion for Prairie". The other is called "The Gift". Both are superb. "The McIntyre Ranch has changed very little since it was established in 1894. The 'balance of nature' philosophy that guided fifty-three years of McIntyre ownership has continued since Ralph Thrall bought the 87 section property from the McIntyre estate in 1948 (one section equals 640 acres, 1581 hectares or one square mile). Twelve sections that were once farmed have been seeded back to tame grasses for grazing while the other seventy-five sections remain in their native condition. Several factors are considered in order to maintain and enhance the healthy range condition. Appropriate stocking rates (number of cattle) in conjunction with duration and time of year grazing, water requirements, natural shelter, strategic fencing and salt distribution all must be considered for effective balanced grazing. Our goal of achieving excellence with all aspects associated with the McIntyre Ranch will be worked at while functioning in harmony with nature. Sustainable ranching has been and continues to be the main objective of this company. Ralph A. Thrall passed away in 1978. The Ranch is presently owned by Ralph A. Thrall Jr. and managed by Ralph A. Thrall III (General Manager 1990), Duane Spitzer (Controller 1973) and Jamie Christie (Foreman 2001)." From the Ranch website. UPDATED on 30th October 2011, from the Lethbridge Herald Newspaper. I noticed that quite a number of people were looking at my photo via Google yesterday and today. I was greatly saddened when I read the reason. "MR. RALPH AMBROSE THRALL JR. of Lethbridge, beloved husband of Mrs. Catherine C. Thrall, passed away in Calgary on Friday, October 28, 2011 at the age of 78 years." I send my condolences to the family and friends of Ralph Thrall Jr.. A friend and I met this gentleman just the one time, at an exhibition at the Alberta College of Art, about the McIntyre Ranch, but a group of us was privileged to spend a wonderful day on the Ranch back on 26th May 2007. I know that there will be a great number of people offering support to the family at this very difficult time and keeping them in their thoughts and prayers.

"My" baby Great Horned Owl is growing up so fast. After a walk with a friend yesterday evening, I called in to check on the baby owl around 9:15 p.m.. To my delight, it was practicing its flying in the small grove of trees, landing in the trees around me. Couldn't see Mom or Dad because of all the leaves, but I'm quite sure they were close by. The young one always seems to be falling asleep when I visit in the afternoons, so I thought I'd try a late evening for a change. Unfortunately, that meant that the lighting was too bad for my camera (always used on Auto!). However, with some lightening and a touch of red-eye fixing (thank goodness I tried flash on a couple of photos, even knowing there would be a red-eye problem), this photo is just about fit to be uploaded. The rest of the photos, with no flash, were fit only to be deleted.

When I went over yesterday to check on "my" baby Great Horned Owl, it was sitting on a fairly low branch on the outer edge of the grove of trees. It was napping, but briefly awakening quite often. The mother was in the same tree but a few branches higher. The father was about two trees away. Eventually, the young one flew to a different tree, where it spent quite a lot of time with its head pointed skywards, presumably watching the various birds that were nearby. This included a female Wood Duck that flew in and perched on an extremely high branch a few trees away. I managed to slowly make my way closer and closer, half expecting one of the adults to move, but they seemed to be pretty relaxed, often having their eyes closed. I got to within perhaps 10' or 12' of the young one, took a few more photos and then decided that it was more than time I left them in peace. I tried not to look down at the ground any more than necessary, as in amongst the grass and plants, I had already seen bloody remains of what could have been a rabbit or a Groundsquirrel. In fact, it was beginning to make me feel very uncomfortable, wondering what I might come across next! Quite a magical experience, though. Have to keep reminding myself that "the Great Horned Owl, our provincial bird, is among the most formidable of Alberta's raptors." (Birds of Alberta" book.)

"My" young Great Horned Owl allowed me to get sufficiently close to it the other day that didn't really need to crop the original photo but decided to shave off just a tiny bit at the top. Reminder to self - "The Great Horned Owl is among the most formidable of Alberta's raptors"! Someone told me the other day that he had heard that a GHO "attack" feels like being hit over the head with a two-by-four with nails in it" (or words to that effect). The two adults sitting in nearby trees both appeared to be relaxed, often with eyes closed. Even so, the thought is ALWAYS in my mind - and I wouldn't want to stress out the birds at all, anyway! Road works have been going on for many weeks just a few feet away from where these owls live, so they are accustomed to noise and humans. I'm amazed that they have stayed, but SO glad that they are still there. Does anyone know if there is any way to tell if this is a young male or female?