Date:         Tue, 22 May 2007 22:22:19 -0400
Reply-To:     Tim Rose <feralman@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Georgia Birders Online <GABO-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Tim Rose <feralman@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      The Fledging of the Screech Owls
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

My seven year wait has finally paid off.  This evening I watched
Heathcliff, Catherine and Linton (in that order) leave the nest box,
about ten minutes apart.  Each one hung out of the hole and beat its
wings vigorously for a while before taking the plunge.  Each one flew
a few yards and landed on a branch too thin to support it.  They
thrashed around for a while, getting their balance.  The parent(s)
kept up encouraging calls the whole time.  The few times I could
identify who was calling, it was the father.  I didn't positively
identify the mother but I'm sure she was out there.

For a long while there was a great coming and going of owls, the
adults gliding quickly and smoothly and the young ones thrashing and
flapping in all directions.

They also demonstrated their awesome whine-snarl-beak-snapping
aggressive call.  Not at me - I was at the other side of the yard at
the time.  Probably a cat.  Earlier one came prowling almost at my
feet as I watched the owls.  I offered it an empty beer bottle but I
think I offended it because it left in a hurry.

I had hopes the owls would come to my freshly cleaned and refilled
bird bath but they didn't.  Maybe I should have put up a sign.

It's strange now to look at the forlorn, empty nest box staring at me
with its blank round hole.  I could swear it misses the owls already.

Tim Rose
Lilburn, Gwinnett County

                            **********
To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to
http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html

To contact a listowner, send message to
GABO-L-request@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU

To view GABO-L information/guidelines, go to
http://www.gos.org/gabo.html