Raptor Survey Experience: Great Horned Owls

I'm participating in the Griffith Park Raptor Survey again, this time I have a Great Horned Owl nest to monitor. (My local Red-tails are not nesting again this year, apparently deterred by Ravens.) These are the data and notes I submitted about my bi-weekly nest observation. (Address has been redacted.) So often, on any wildlife study, the subject animal does not appear in person, you must rely on evidence like scats to learn about it. My notes describe what it's like to participate in such a study on a night the subject animal does show up!

"Observations 2022

GHOW-LA-114

Visit # 6

SStreaser
May 01
2.0hr
GHOW-LA-114
Visit # 6

GHOW

Hunting
Not seen, but probably at least 1
Good
Notes: Left home at 7:15pm, walked around the hill to Oban Dr. I stopped at (address) Oban Dr, near intersection with Palmero, searched the tall pine where I've seen owls previously, but none this evening. Arrived at my observation spot by utility pole about 7:25pm. There was still light in the sky and many bird sounds. There was fresh whitewash and a pellet on ground by the pole. Two residents on Oban reported hearing owls nightly, near the bend in road, which is between Palmero Dr and my observation spot. I waited, watching nest until significantly dark, but saw no movement at nest, no sight or sounds of owls nearby. So I walked uphill toward home.

Walking by the dried, grassy hillside lot at (address) Oban, I saw, silhouetted against the dim sky, a large lump on a wire just a few feet above my head. Thought it might be part of the cable system, but I didn't remember it being there before. Binocular view showed it had 2 big yellow eyes. Of course it's an owl- waiting above the grassy hillside for rodents. I crossed the street to give it space, but it flew away in direction of the nest. So I walked downhill to my observation spot. I waited there, watching until after dark, but no owl arrived at the nest. So I walked uphill toward home.

Again walking past the grassy lot, now 2 large lumps with "pointy ears" were silhouetted on the wire. I watched them from a driveway across the narrow street. They would sometimes stretch their necks upward, slightly turning, tilting and bobbing their heads, apparently triangulating on sounds in the grass below. I moved my foot slightly, softly scraping a few sand grains on pavement. Both owl heads jerked around in my direction, then slowly turned back to the grass. After about 15 minutes, one fluttered silently down, disappearing from my sight, against the hillside. All I heard was a faint "pffff" of grass as it landed. Then the other followed, making its own faint "pfff" in the grass. A few minutes later one rose up and flew toward Palmero Dr, where it would have a clear path to the nest. So I walked downhill to my observation spot. No owls came to the nest, so I walked uphill and home.

Summary: Two adult owls were hunting as a team, indicating they probably have at least 1 chick in the nest."

Posted on June 26, 2022 12:14 AM by