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Backyard owls

13 years ago

I have researched the habits of owls living around Virginia. My family is lucky to have a mating pair of Barred owls living in our back yard. I have been watching them daily for about a month and have learned their routines. The male is ever vigilant day and night watching over his mate and their nest site which is in a hollow of an old growth tree. The male sits in the same cedar tree everyday and I can walk out and stand below it and he will just stare at me. This is about 90% of the time. The other 10% he will be on another nearby tree branch, but when I go out he always flies to the cedar thinking I cannot see him there. He leaves the cedar about 7pm every evening for a different nearby tree then flies over to a tree branch overlooking his nesting site and around 7:45 to 8:00p he lets out a series of calls to his mate I think saying get ready then about 5 minutes later he'll call out again then she will reply. A lot of times she will fly out and meet him but often I don't see her leave the tree. I will not go near the tree they are nesting in since I do not want to them to go away. Tonight they seemed to fly off hunting together and wonder when their may be chicks. I have some pictures that I will post if anyone is interested but I mostly had a couple questions such as how long before babies can fly? Will the mother leave the nest if there are eggs present or if there are owlets present? Can I expect these owls to be present year after year or can I expect these owls to migrate? Also I haven't noticed the owls hunting in my backyard much since the nest is nearby... Am I just missing the hunting or do they not hunt in close proximity to their nests. I don't think they are hunting nearby since the vole tunnels are as present as ever and there is a rabbits den right next to the owls. If anyone can sate my curiousity I would really appreciate it.
Thanks, David

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Elly_NJ
13 years ago
David, here is what I think:

I will not go near the tree they are nesting in since I do not want to them to go away. Good! Yes!

Tonight they seemed to fly off hunting together and wonder when their may be chicks.

You will hear the chicks begging for food.

I have some pictures that I will post if anyone is interested but I mostly had a couple questions such as how long before babies can fly?

Please do post pictures! The chicks will fledge (leave the nest) at about 4-5 weeks and will "branch," climbing and hanging in the branches near the nest site. Then they will really scream and demand food! They will fly but still stay local at about 6-7 weeks.

Will the mother leave the nest if there are eggs present or if there are owlets present? She will stay on the nest with eggs and hatchlings.

Can I expect these owls to be present year after year or can I expect these owls to migrate? Barred owls do not migrate and have a site tenacity: meaning they use the same nest year after year and live in the area they were born.

Also I haven't noticed the owls hunting in my backyard much since the nest is nearby... Am I just missing the hunting or do they not hunt in close proximity to their nests. I don't think they are hunting nearby since the vole tunnels are as present as ever and there is a rabbits den right next to the owls. Nice that you have voles and rabbits. They will feed those babies. Predators time their breeding to the breeding of prey animals, and they don't extinguish the prey populations since there are so many to be had in the spring/summer!

You are lucky to be so near these wonderful amazing creatures!

Here is a link that might be useful: Branching
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