Since
the loss of the owlets, June has been hunting throughout the days as she
is seen doing here on the 25th. With no owlets to feed, this
extensive daytime hunting should not be necessary and suggests that she
was in a weakened condition during her final days in the nest. It is quite
likely that the shortage of prey made this year a tough one for all of the
critters in her territory and would have caused further difficulties for
the owlets had they survived. June has also been doing a lot of hooting at
night with some classic hooting sessions lasting for more than two hours;
but Ward has not responded. He has not been heard from for more than a
week, and may have temporarily left the territory in search of better
hunting as barred owls sometimes do. June's daytime calls have, however,
been answered a couple of times by what sounds like a one-year-old male. The
call is a timid and disorganized one in which June has shown little
interest. It is probably a young "floater"' that will travel
around looking for a mate for a couple of more years before it can
convince a female that it is capable of supporting a family. June has made no
nest visits since the 18th, so that renesting seems increasingly unlikely.
Further activities will be covered through a "summer" link which will be added to the 2003 Adventures page.