From Joshua N Wiley

On Saturday, after seeing a clue on eBird, and checking the calendar, I dropped by a favorite Barred Owl nest location to look for babies. In past years, I’ve been able to get pictures of the owlets right before branching, standing right on the edge of their nest, up in a lovely Sycamore tree with a big open cavity. No such luck this year. But I was fortunate to catch glimpses of two baby owls high in nearby trees.

They had branched a little earlier than usual. The mother this year is new. Her predecessor succumbed about two years ago after more than 10 seasons, but the male recruited a new female to use the same nest (or so we think). Life goes on.

As a child, I lived in this area, and sometimes played in this same park. 45 years later, I’m back here watching baby owls.

4/12/25. Nikon D850, 600 mm, f/4, ISO 250, 1/1000 second. Franklin County Ohio