Intrigued

I've been informed about a pair of Great Horned Owls being heard in a park not far from us. It got me rather intrigued not just because it's a pair of Owls but because it's in a park where I released a young Great Horned Owl 2 years ago. I can't help but wonder if he is one of the pair.

In a perfect world I could post the name of the park, like putting the word out, and there might be kind and willing people to assist (more eyes and ears would be better). But in this world, this day and age, I cannot. Not that I think I have a mass of blog readers but putting the word out publicly on where Owls may be is not my thing as it may have a negative effect on the park and the birds. I have less to worry about people messing with Great Horns as I would over smaller Owls but my rule is to not publicly post Owl locations and I will keep it to ALL Owls.

I plan to explore the park a little more in the coming weeks while the trees are still bare. I will listen to the Crows and the Blue Jays as I walk, scanning pine trees. Hopefully the birds will help me in my search.

If I find the Owls, I will focus on the legs of the birds. The one I released is banded.

It would be an amazing continuation of this Owl's story. He fell out of his nest in February. Someone found him. Toronto Wildlife was contacted. The Owl could not be put back into the nest because it was too high up. The young Owl went from Toronto Wildlife to The Owl Foundation where he was raised by their super nanny Big Red who has fostered many young Great Horns over the years.

Come October, he was ready to be released and we chose a park a little further west of where he was born. I should have monitored better in the following months but only made two trips that winter without any sighting. Of course he wasn't limited to the park. He could go anywhere. Through the area, into the residential, there are a lot of massive conifers a Great Horned Owl could spend the days in. This is all if he chose to stay here. If he was not driven out. If he survived this time on his own.

We shall see what comes of this. If nothing else, I got some fresh air and exercise. Wish me luck!

The blog about his release can be viewed here.