Ward
and June prosper by adapting to whatever their territory has to offer at a
particular time. That might mean a lot of small prey on one day and a few
large ones the next. Last night they happened upon a good supply of mice
that were too big for the owlets to swallow whole, so that three of them
were still on the floor at dawn. This meant that June was able to provide
the owlets with the regular daily feedings that other owlets have enjoyed in past
years. She is shown here feeding Penelope as Spencer looks on from the
corner. He did not, however, wait for long and soon climbed on top to grab
his share. There was plenty for both of them today and it was
often necessary for June to make her galloping
sound to urge them to continue eating. It's hard to believe that these
tiny owlets will be ready to climb out of the nest in less than two
weeks. 
I'm
often asked what impact the owl family has had on the populations of other
birds in their territory. The answer appears to be "very
little." While they do eat an occasional bird -- mostly blue
jays -- I have noticed no decrease in the number of other birds in the
area. Many of them even stop by to look in on the owls as this great
crested flycatcher did this morning. As is typical for these smaller
visitors, it just fluttered around outside the door and scolded the owls
for a few seconds before moving on. Some of the more common birds nesting
within a few hundred feet of the owl's nest include: chickadees,
nuthatches, titmice, cardinals, phoebes, Carolina and winter wrens,
robins, and many others. They all seem to be as plentiful as before Ward
and June moved into the neighborhood. All of these birds produce several
large broods each year and I suspect that losses to the owls are a minor
factor.