A Snowbird in Paradise

I feel incredibly lucky to have the chance to watch this owl and her nest. It is quite far away, considering the height of the tower and that it is across the little bay. Some day I will get a good picture of her.

This is from the website Desert USA

Great horned owls are one of the earliest spring nesting birds; eggs may be laid in January or February through April. They use abandoned stick nests of a hawk or heron or crow, but also nest in rock alcoves, hollows of trees, abandoned buildings, or sometimes on the ground.

Throughout the winter, courting great horned owls will light up their nesting territory with nighttime hooting. Generally 2-3 white eggs are laid, although they may lay up to 6 eggs. Both the male and female incubate the eggs for 30-35 days. The young are fed by both parents, and the parents fiercely defend their nest site against intruders. If young owls fall out of the nest prematurely, the adults will feed the bird on the ground.

The young fledge from the nest at 45-55 days old.

Great horned owls can live greater than 12 years; some captive birds have lived to 29 years old.