The Daily Bucket is a place where we can post and exchange our observations about the natural happenings in our neighborhoods. Birds, bugs, blossoms and more - each notation is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the natural patterns that are unwinding around us.
Seattle. May 6, 2012.
By this time last year I'd written about the Forest's Barred Owls more than once. How they hunted the Douglas Squirrels and how, if you listened closely in the right places you might hear the hissy whine of a mama owl inside a nest tree calling to her mate for food.
This year I've had nothing. Regular visits to both nesting sites have been fruitless; no activity, no vocalizations, not even any crow mobs in the vicinity. Once or twice I've heard an owl call out from deeper in the woods: Who cooks for you.. Who cooks for youaaaa! but not recently. None of the other regular walkers have had any owl luck either. We've started to wonder if maybe the owls just need a break this year.
More under the orange owl barf --->
Tonight headed into the Forest later than usual, in the slant light time between late afternoon and early evening. I followed the light down into the hollow to see if there was any any activity at the hummingbird nest. No one was home there, but up the other side of the hollow the crows were talking and crowtalk often means that something interesting is going on. I climbed towards their voices, up through the slippy mud place, past the big log and on.
There. Five, six, seven crows all swooping and hollering above the place where two trails meet and then Steller's Jay comes weaving in and out of the canopy to land in a cedar tree and scream. I follow his gaze: Mama owl, sitting in a cedar tree, watching. I follow her gaze: one pale fuzzy bean perched on a broken Big-leaf Maple branch, wide eyed and new.
May 6, 2012. First Barred Owlet of the season.
Welcome. May you be well.
May 6, 2012. First Barred Owl fledgling of the season in the Forest. Local nature lore has Barred Owls fledging during the 10 days surrounding Mother's Day. This individual is a day or two early.
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Your turn. Let us know what and where.
I'll be back in the early afternoon PDT for a bit, then again in the early evening.