This little friend surprised some of my students who were looking for caddisflies in Panther Hollow Run by strolling right past them in the middle of the day, before using a culvert as an underpass to get across the trail! Not my area of expertise, but looks fairly young - would babies who’ve left mom recently possibly be more active in the daytime while they adjust?
Alerted to its presence by an agitated, vocal Raven and several noisy hummingbirds trying to dislodge this napping owl, so far to no avail.
UPDATE, 2:36 PM: Owl still in same spot in same tree, one branch away from a nest that in 2021 hosted a mating pair of Cooper’s Hawks who raised one fledgling.
UPDATE 2, 5:11 PM: Owl still in same spot.
Photographer Simon Reece - client of Royle Safaris on tour
P,L:F,24H,2
P,L:F,24H,2