February 26, 2007
With much excitement we recently found the nesting site of a Great Horned Owl (see photo in 'Wildlife' gallery) located in a large Blue Oak near Lower Yosemite Fall.
While we cannot yet tell if a mate has been found we will be regularly training our lens on the tree cavity and its occupant(s) during the next two-four months to monitor nature's progress. Judging from the pitch of this owl's call our untrained ear believes it to be a male. The male and female of the species are more similar in appearance than most within the bird world so identification by sound is essential.
Mating typically occurs during January or February with incubation lasting about a month. The chicks fledge at six weeks and gradually separate from the parents by December. They will then search for and establish their own territories before breeding themselves perhaps a year or two after that.
Watch this space as the story unfolds...