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Welcome to the Rough String, and thanks for stoppin' by!! Grab a hot cup of coffee and sit a spell!
10/22/18 You will see a name change on the blog. Lots of things have changed in my life in the past few years, and I feel compelled to share my story.

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Sunday, February 13, 2011

Spring? Why Yes!!! And a Lil' Love for Valentine's Day~

~It's hard to raise children alone, but not impossible.~
~Carrie Blacksmith 1885~

For humans, that quote is true...but not so for many species of wildlife. It takes two most often to raise their young...and I would say this is true for our resident Great Horned Owl family.

Look who's nesting...the two love birds owls!!

Look Who's Nesting! 1/2



We moved here five years ago, and this pair has been here long before we arrived. They've raised offspring every year; anywhere from 3-5 young.

Many people say to get rid of them. But, they do a great job with the rodents. But, they will attack. I was dive bombed the second year we were here when I saw one of the fledglings fall from the nest (25 feet) and thought I better make sure it was OK. Well, one of the parents swooped down on me as I got close...I decided at that point, it was just going to have to survive on its own!!!


Look Who's Nesting! 2/2


Yes, most all of you have heard the story about Cindy Sue's attack when she got too close to the nest. They will fly in the daytime when they deem it necessary...beware!!!

I'm going to try to follow them more closely this year. They use the same nest in the rock rim wall every year. They started nesting on February 8. So, we'll see if I can keep track of them!


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15 comments:

  1. 5 Starr's FarmFebruary 13, 2011 at 4:10 PM

    Pretty Cool.............

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  2. wendyFebruary 13, 2011 at 5:38 PM

    that would be neat to just observe....from a safe distance. I didn't know Owls were so agressive.

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  3. MikeyFebruary 13, 2011 at 6:05 PM

    Cool owls! I can't believe they've been around so long. They must like raising their babies there.

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  4. ShirleyFebruary 13, 2011 at 7:29 PM

    I've lost a few cats to owls. If you don't mess with their nests or their babies, they are probably fine. Great horned owls are more aggressive than the Barred Owl that Ted and I rehabilitated last fall.

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  5. The WildwoodFebruary 13, 2011 at 7:43 PM

    We have barred owls and they aren't nearly as neat as yours or as big. They kind of give me the creeps but as long as they eat the mice....it's okay.

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  6. thecrazysheepladyFebruary 14, 2011 at 5:50 AM

    An owl cam would be awful neat ;-). Wonder if they have solar chargers?

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  7. DreamingFebruary 14, 2011 at 7:26 AM

    The owl looks so majestic in his/her hole. Oh my, yes to the owl cam, don't you think?!!
    Gary Paulsen (one of my favorite 'big kid' authors) once wrote about Bantam roosters that dive bombed his wife when she did laundry. She began to 'wear' the laundry basket. Don't suppose that would help in this situation...???

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  8. gtyyupFebruary 14, 2011 at 8:12 AM

    LOL...well, I had thought about an 'owl cam' too! It's too late this year, but next year in January before they go to nest would be the time to install it I guess. I don't know if they are sensitive enough to let something like that stop them from nesting in the rock hole or not.

    Yes, they love cats. I saw them attack a stray that showed up one morning. The cat made it as far as I know, but it was frightening to watch. Cindy Sue only has supervised potty trips after dark. This is where the Kevlar suit would come in handy!!

    Actually, I'm surprised that we still have Tat the Cat. But I attribute that to his gray color. And when we get new cats/kittens, they will be gray or black...nothing that is bright.

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  9. JaniceFebruary 14, 2011 at 8:23 AM

    You sure take good pictures,I look forward to following along on your Owl watch.Loved your Eagle shot as well. I used to be able to Eagle watch where we lived before,there are none here I miss them.

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  10. DayPhotoFebruary 14, 2011 at 10:08 AM

    I love these photos! I would like to have a owl family living next to us!!

    Really cool!

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

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  11. Rising RainbowFebruary 14, 2011 at 10:53 AM

    We have owls here too. I like them and the red tailed hawks we have because of the rodent thing. I don't know what kind of owl we have though. Haven't been able to get close enough for blind me to tell. LOL

    Love the pics and will look foward to hearing how their family is coming along.

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  12. cheyenne jonesFebruary 14, 2011 at 11:17 AM

    Dont owls ever make you feel slightly watched? Almost as though they no somethings we dont!

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  13. gtyyupFebruary 14, 2011 at 4:32 PM

    Cheyenne~Their favorite tree to hang out in during the day is in the yard right next to a watering trough, fence, and a gate I go through daily. They DO watch me!!! They swivel that head half way around and follow me as I walk under and past the tree...but, they don't seem to give a care about anything until the sun starts setting. They start stretching their wings and get into position to take off onto their night's excursions.

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  14. Val EwingFebruary 16, 2011 at 6:00 AM

    I hope we get to see the 'owlings' when the appear!

    Yes I never thought that an owl would swoop down on a dog. But we have Peregrine Falcons and Eagles and I think they would!

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  15. CTG PoniesFebruary 16, 2011 at 1:51 PM

    How cool!

    This is pretty interesting:
    http://www.ustream.tv/theowlbox

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I love your comments! Let me know what's on your mind~~

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