This morning I heard a chestnut sided warbler between the pond and the river
during a brief visit to The Wetlands. This afternoon after a quick errand
downtown I went by the footbridge to Belle Isle and found cliff swallows
under the highway bridge. The way they were visiting multiple jugs and
squabbling made it seem like they had just recently arrived. A quick
inspection showed at least 41 jugs up there, and I did not look hard at all.
Later I took a longer walk at The Wetlands and found one barred owlet that
has climbed to about head height without the dogs killing it. One of the
adult owls is very wild, but the other one is quite placid. This is the
pair between the pond and the golf course (I will send directions to the
Wetlands Before Work people, don't have time or energy to do anything else
right now). I located adults on the Pony Pasture side near the pipeline and
ran out of daylight before I could find owlets, though their behavior
tonight does seem to suggest that they are also guarding and feeding young
now. What a difference a day or two can make! The first fledging I had any
experience with happened on 4/18 that year, so by now I tend to want to give
up looking.
What I have gathered over the years is that the owlet comes out of the tree
and ends up on the ground without the ability to fly. While having all
sorts of adventures (snakes, near drowning, unleashed dogs, preschoolers...)
they gradually work their way up into the trees, assuming a predator or a
clueless dog owner doesn't manage to do them in (don't ask, yes it happens),
and as they climb and their feathers grow in they get stronger and start
flapping and branch hopping. One owlet that I observed frequently seemed to
recognize me and the kids when we walked by and would make noises and show
off new skills. The adults get so focused on feeding the owlet that they
have hunted next to the car and flown right in front of me to carry the food
to it. The little one I found tonight is not yet making noise-too dangerous
when they are on or near the ground-but there is a characteristic begging
whine that they make when they are bigger and higher up. It still took my
breath away when I made eye contact tonight-this never gets old!
Jan
Richmond
