Great Horned Owls... Give a Hoot and Hoot 11-14-21
On Sunday, 11-14-21, I went out to look for the owls. Either the Great
Horned Owls or the Barred Owl. I haven’t seen the Barred Owl yet this
fall.
It took me about a half hour before I got to the Great Horned Owl
territory. I could hear some blue jays making a lot of noise in the
distance, so I figured they saw something. They were probably 30 to 40
yards away from me.
I had just turned off my GoPro talking about the
blue jays when along comes one of the Great Horned Owls flying my
direction. It lands in a red cedar tree about 25 yards from me.
There was a large oak tree between the owl and me, so I was able to get
my camera and lens out of my backpack without my movements being to
noticeable to the owl. It certainly knows I’m there.
We were both
looking each other over. :)
I took a few handheld shots from where I was standing. I posted one of
the first shots I took of this owl and it had made itself look thinner
after landing in the cedar tree. It wouldn’t take long before he
relaxed. I recognized the owl as, Give a Hoot, the male.
Once he got relaxed I decided to get my tripod out and moved over
alittle to get a slightly better angle.
When I got set up and took some
video I noticed I couldn’t fit him completely in the screen. I waited a
little longer before I moved back a little further.
During the two hours I spent with him he mostly slept, although a few
times his head would quickly turn in the direction of something he
heard.
It was a little past 1600 hrs when he opened his eyes and
immediately flew from his perch. I watched him meander throughout the
woods and then out of sight. The area that I last saw him was the way I
walked into this part of the woods.
It was less than a minute that I grabbed my tripod and camera and took a
few steps toward my backpack laying in the snow when either this same
Great Horned Owl or another one landed in another tree 10 yards away. I
couldn’t immediately tell from my vantage point directly below it which
owl it was.
I took some shots while I walked underneath and then further away to a
better angle/location.
It wasn't until this owl gave some territorial
calls that I realized it was Hoot, the female. She was actively hunting
when she landed near me.
While photographing Hoot three little does came over and appeared
curious on what I was doing in their woods. They stuck around while I
got a couple shots.
It was close to 1630 hrs when I decided to walk back to my gear.
While I
walked back I heard the territorial call given by the last owl…it was
Hoot, the female. She hadn’t finished her call when the male GHO, Give a
Hoot, called back from the last location I saw him fly. They went back
and forth calling to each other. I got back to my tripod and put my
camera back on it and was able to record a few more calls that are
included at the end of the video. While listening to them while standing
at my tripod I saw Hoot fly further away into the woods.
It was another magical day in the woods with Give a Hoot and Hoot.
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