Great Horned Owlet at Nisqually NWR

This photo of Great Horned Owlet was taken at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Olympia, Washington. The sightings of owlets at Nisqually is a big event for local birders each year. The refuge and local birders have been fortuitous enough to have a brood each year within the refuge borders. To our surprise we spotted an owlet that had already fledged. For those that are not familiar with the term fledge, it means that a young bird has its wing feathers and those feathers are large enough for flight and the bird is able to fly. Usually around this time of the year we would come to Nisqually and see two or three Great Horned Owlets all hanging around the nesting tree testing out their wings. However this year was a bit different, there was an owlet at the nesting tree inside a cavity with just one eye exposed, and another one was out in the open in different tree trying to get some shut eye but awoke once the sun broke through the clouds at mid day, you can see it yawning in this picture below.

With the Owlets in separate locations it made the day more interesting because we had to choose which location to stay at. So as with a lot of people we were briskly walking back and forth hoping to see something stunning at one location without missing out on something spectacular at the other location. You may be thinking that its not even spring yet and some of the owls have already fledged. Well Great Horned Owls start their nesting in the dead of winter. This may shock some since no other birds lay their eggs so early. This give the owls the advantage of less competition for food, since there are a variety of other raptors that share the same propensity of prey animals to eat. The Great Horned Owl is found in a greater variety of habitats than any other owl. They are also one of the largest owl in North America and one of my favorite raptors.