Ward
and June remain in their territory, but have not visited the nest box
since early January. Hunting conditions have been ideal for the owls this
winter with very little snowfall to muffle the footsteps of their
prey. As a result, there has been little need for daytime hunting and few
daytime sightings. Ward is shown here on January 15th when a rare
snowstorm had him eyeing the squirrels that were attracted by the spilled
seed under a bird feeder. After watching patiently for several hours, he
made a graceful 100-foot glide to pounce on one of the squirrels and then
flew back into the woods to enjoy a good meal. I've not heard from June
for almost two months, and assume that she has found better hunting
elsewhere in the territory. If they are going to nest this year, activity should pick up significantly by mid-March.
OwlCam will again follow their adventures this year.