| The owlets have been doing
extremely well and getting more food than they can handle. June is shown
here ripping up a squirrel as Penelope looks in the direction of Spencer
(bottom two pictures) who is perched in a tree about fifty feet away.
While Spencer now has tail feathers and was perfectly capable of flying
over to join in, he was not hungry enough to do so. He just wheezed
occasionally and waited for Penelope to finish. June spent more than
thirty minutes feeding Penelope, who even gobbled down a whole squirrel's
tail when June offered it. That was, however, the last bite that she
accepted; even though June continued to dangle bits of squirrel in front
of her for another five minutes. Finally, June gave up and took the rest
to Spencer, who finished it off but did not seem overly excited about it.
Both Ward and June have been doing a lot of hooting at night, with
frequent wailing calls (signaling their arrival with food) followed by
loud wheezing.
The only thing interrupting the tranquility of their summer is an
ongoing skirmish with a pair of Coopers Hawks that nest nearby. These
conflicts occur when the hawks catch June hunting in daylight and try to
drive her out of the area. So far, they have failed and there is no
indication that any harm has been done.
Summer is a time of learning for the owlets as they follow their
parents around and find out what it takes to make it as an owl. While
hunting will be the most obvious lesson, they must also learn to avoid
great horned owls, hide from crows, respond properly to the calls of other
barred owls, and a myriad of other things. It is, however, a relatively
care free time for the owlets as they move effortlessly through the
treetops under the protection of their parents..
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