 For
the first time this season, Ward spent the day on his favorite perch just
a few hundred feet from the nest box. It was a beautiful spring day and he
paid little attention to June's occasional whines that could be heard
clearly coming from the nest. These reminders were, however, enough to
cause him to wake up occasionally and scan the area for an easy meal as he
is seen doing here. While he spotted a few squirrels and chipmunks that
looked promising, he decided to save his energy for a big night and
quickly went back to sleep. Even though June had gotten only two meals the
night before, she did not persist and stayed in the nest all day. While
his presence on this perch suggests that he is a little more comfortable
about the situation, his failure to answer her whining with a loud hoot of
his own suggests that he is still a bit concerned about the great horned
owls. Because their nesting period is about a month earlier than that of
the barred owl, they should be moving on soon. |