Here they are, all come out to enjoy the evening sun. In just a few weeks, the Owlets have grown so much they are about the size of their parents. How I tell them apart is by their still fluffy down. Here’s Owlie 1:
He likes to try out his new wings:
Oops, caught in the branches. Flapping and struggling to get untangled:
And Mama’s reaction to all the fluttering? Totally unruffled. She’s too busy posing for me:
Here’s the more quiet Owlie 2:
And where’s Papa? As always, watching from a distance on another tree, calm and cool. Here he is, hooting away. That’s the first time I actually hear an Owl hoot, rhythmic calls, music for Mama and kids, and me:
Who teaches their young to fly and land safely? Don’t look at Mama or Papa, they don’t lift a finger:
Who teaches them to play nice, and hug each other? That too, is instinct.
Ok, for Mothers Day, let’s have a photo. I’ll entitle this one “Moonrise Haven”, with thanks to Wes Anderson:
Ah… Natural parenting, so simple, almost effortless.
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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY ARTI OF RIPPLE EFFECTS, 2014.
DO NOT COPY OR REBLOG
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Previous Posts on the Owl Family (In Chronological Order):
The Great Horned Owl (March 2013)
Sign of Spring: Nesting (April 2013)
Spring Babies and Parenting Styles (May 2013)
The Hustle and Bustle of Spring (April 2014)
Within the Budding Grove (April 2014)
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Ripple Effects 
Oh, I have been waiting for these and not a hint of disappointment. What a miracle to not only be able to see them (and they’re getting so big!) but to watch them learn, to snuggle, to be. The photos are fabulous. More still is the very fact that you are so welcome in their environment. They obviously know you are their friend with no intent other than to share their beauty and admire them. I am enchanted.
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Jeanie,
I’m surprised they are so friendly with us, Nature Paparazzi. There are always birders under the trees with tripods and huge lens. But we all are discreet, and very quiet. The Owls were not as close as these photos show. My lens is an amateur, just like its owner. Its a 200mm lens, compared to some others which are double the capacity. So I need to crop them closer on my laptop. Can’t do much with the blurriness. Mind you, I haven’t changed any of the colours. In the evening sun, these are exactly how they looked.
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Love love love your owl shots! Fabulous!
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Ellen,
They’re charming. My pleasure always to visit them. But just like last year, they will be gone soon. Don’t know where they go though since they don’t migrate I don’t think, or maybe they do fly up north a bit.
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I look forward to your photos every week, and today’s shots were worth waiting for. I’m amazed by the action you capture. Beautiful birds.
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Sandra,
Thanks for staying tuned. I’ve enjoyed visiting them. It’s very busy this time of the year in the woods, and very noisy. But I was glad to hear Papa’s hoots… the calls had a mystical feel. Again, thanks for visiting the pond here at Ripple Effects and throwing in your two pebbles. 😉
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I want to know the back story of your photos like where you were when you spied this owl family in the day!
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Anne,
The location is near the Sikome area of the Fish Creek Provincial Park in Calgary, Alberta. I’ve listed all my Owl Posts in chronological order at the end of this post. You’re welcome to browse through them. They are well known in the area, so birders know where to find them. They’ve been nesting here in the spring for the past three years.
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He rather looks like a monkey 🙂
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Morgan,
That’s what I think too. 😉
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I’ve been looking forward to seeing them nearly as much as you have- how wonderful to have this family nearby. I can only imagine how much you were grinning when Dad hooted for you. The late afternoon light is so beautiful.
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Louise,
Yes, right in my ‘neck of the woods’ about 15 mins. drive from home. However, they did fly away after the Owlets were fledged last year. Don’t know where they’d gone, since I don’t think Owls are migratory. And this year, these two new Owlets just make me think … where did last year’s babies fly to? I was told these are the same parents. That’s why they know where to come back to. They even picked exactly the same tree trunk to nest.
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Fantastic photos. You have really captured their behaviour, and the family dynamic.
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Ginny,
I spent hours there… but there are other birders who stay longer. Indeed, the family dynamic really interests me. And as I look back to last year’s Owl Family posts, I had the same observation made: their parenting style sure is very different from the Canada Geese’s. (If you’re interested click on the links at the end of my current post.)
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your photos are fabulous! thank you for sharing these guys in their natural habitat – and love your observations and commentary about who is who!
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thenovellife1,
I’m so fortunate to be living so close to them. We birders in the area anticipate the Owl Family every spring, for three years now. Hopefully they will keep coming back. Thanks for visiting Ripple Effects. I tried to comment on your post, the precious photo of your grandson reading to you, but could not use WordPress or Name/URL to do so.
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I’ve never been fortunate to see owls like that. Thank you for sharing these with us.
Here’s my Saturday Snapshot!
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Deb,
It’s my pleasure watching them and taking their photos. Glad you’ve enjoyed them too. Thanks to the link to your Snapshot post.
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I am very jealous that you not only managed to see Owls but were able to photograph them so well. Beautiful animals. Love your nod to W.S. Anderson and his wonderful film Moonrise Kingdom.
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Chris,
I’m happy to be living in close proximity to a provincial park, home to owls and others in the wild, which finds a match in Wes Anderson’s imagination. 😉
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What an amazing opportunity! I’m envious. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your owl adventures.
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Allison,
Thanks for stopping by the pond. 😉
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I am very impressed with both your patience and your perseverance, Arti, in chronicling this Owl Family series here in Ripple Effects. Your photos are wonderful. They’re such a handsome family of critters! I suppose last year’s offspring have started families of their own? They cannot be living that far from their parents and siblings … Or can they? The birds that are my main source of focus are the pigeons I encounter on the sill or sidewalk here in Gotham City, but recently I noticed a yellow billed blackbird near my market’s outdoor fruit stand. I figured this was a migrating visitor who had been flying around Central Park. It flew in and out at warp speed so I had no chance to shoot a picture.
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LA,
Not much patience and perseverance required… it’s all pleasure. I don’t know how far you are from Central Park, but that’s THE hotspot for migratory birds. I’m sure you’re closer to there than I am. And I’m all envious. 😉
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Such gorgeous pictures of your owl family. I love the one of the youngster who can lie against a branch while planting his feet firmly on it at the same time – oh for such a flexible spine!
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litlove,
They are a pleasure to watch, albeit they don’t move much so I have to stay put under the tree from a distance. But I’ve got company all the time, the community of nature paparazzi.
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Those owlets are so cute with all those downy feathers! Loved the last family photo with the moon in the background!
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Stefanie,
They certainly are cute. And the hoots from Papa is out of this world.
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Oh, they look so adorable! Definitely haughty and regal!
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Athira,
Welcome to the pond, where you throw in your two pebbles to stir up some ripples. Yes, they are adorable… but they can be ferocious, esp. with the parents in defending their own. So I’ve heard, but not seen yet. Hope to hear from you again. 😉
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I’ve been by your page here several times, each time just looking and looking. This little family of yours makes me smile, makes me happy. They are so completely and easily “themselves”, living by the rules of their kind and yet happy to give us a glimpse into their world.
Your photographs capture it all so well. They’re just beautiful.
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Linda,
Even with all the birders with their cameras and binoculars gathering under the trees, the owls are as natural as ever. That’s the joy of being an owl, isn’t it… Who cares what others think? I’m glad I’ve the privilege to watch them as a family in their own habitat, an authentic reality show. 😉
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How wonderful to find the entire owl family together! I missed this post last Saturday. I was out all day counting birds for the Illinois Spring Bird Count. Even though we knew where owlets were hanging out, we could not find them – and I know they can’t fly yet. They are good at hiding.
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