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Thursday, June 4, 2015

Owlets Must Earn Their Wings

            Have you ever seen a baby owl learn to fly? It can be quite comical yet, I imagine it must be scary for them. They don't just fly away when their wing feathers are developed, no, these baby birds must earn their wings. The first thing they'll do is stand on the edge of their nest and flap their wings like crazy to strenghten them. Then, they will courageously hop from one branch to another as they 'practice'. If they miss or try to fly before they are actually ready, the way is down, like ground down. When there, they will continue to learn while mama and daddy owl stand by to provide food and protection. Depending on the species, it can take weeks for the owlets to learn, so they can be seen hoping and flapping on the ground for quite some time.  If you do see one and it's not injured, please do not intervene. Remember that this is normal and its parents are nearby taking care of it. (If the owlet is injured, see What To Do - Injured or Sick Owl).

Fledgling owls learn to fly



One thing for sure, baby owls are adorable! 


Twig - Barred Owlet Tshirt
Twig - Barred Owlet Tshirt by OwlWatch
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Owlet Trio Postcard
Owlet Trio Postcard by alternateworlds
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Thursday, May 21, 2015

Owls Make Great Dads

     Not many animals are great at fatherhood, but owls are. They are one of the most devoted and hardworking dads in the animal kingdom, despite the fact that mama owl can be up to 25% bigger than him. Owl dads are there from the very beginning by helping mama owl search for the perfect  nest. Then, as mama owl incubates the eggs, he spends most of his time flying back and forth to feed her. It doesn't stop there, either.  Once the babies are hatched, he still has to bring home the bacon, or, er..in this case, maybe the rat, at least until the little ones are big enough for mama owl to go hunting herself. While she is out, it's owl dad's turn to babysit. Even after the owlets start hopping out of the nest to 'earn' their wings, owl dad is right there with mama owl to help them along.  Don't you just love daddy owls? 

 I said it before and I'll say it again... 'Hootray' for Daddy Owls!  

 ..and, with Father's Day coming soon, let's not forget all the devoted and hard working human dads, too. Hooray, Dads! 









Owl Father's Day Greeting Card
Owl Father's Day Greeting Card by Visages
Check out more Owl Cards at Zazzle








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Sunday, May 3, 2015

May Flowers and Owls


You know what they say, April showers bring May flowers. Now, Owls don't really have use for flowers, except maybe for the moths they pluck from them for their young. However, there is one Welsh myth that links the two.


It is the story of a woman named Blodeuwedd, that was made from flowers by a wizard at the request of a man who was cursed to never have a human wife.  She is later, in turn, cursed by the husband's uncle for cheating on and conspiring to murder the husband. The uncle had her cursed into an owl so that she will never " ....dare to show your face ever again in the light of day ever again, and that will be because of enmity between you and all other birds. It will be in their nature to harass you and despise you wherever they find you. And you will not lose your name - that will always be "Bloddeuwedd (Flower-face)".

There is, of course, more to the story, and if your interested, you can read more about it at The Order of Bards Ovates and & Druids. 

 There is one more link between flowers and owls that I want to share with you. In a public garden in Taiwan, there are three huge owl sculptures made out of flowers. They are beautiful!  See them here: 1001 Gardens.

In any event, let's celebrate spring and all the little owlets hatching this time of year with awesome 'owls with flowers' gifts products:





Owls Sitting on Flowers Mug
Owls Sitting on Flowers Mug by LeeArtHaus
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Blodeuwedd Print
Blodeuwedd Print by evallyr
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Friday, April 17, 2015

Owl Mother's Day

Mother's Day will soon be here; a time to acknowledge all mommies that, not only provide lots of love and care, but who also make many sacrifices for their offspring. There is no denying that motherhood is hard work, and mama owls are no exception.


The exact breeding season varies depending on the owl species, food supply, and weather; however, the  female owl lays 3 or 4 eggs usually during the months of February and March. Then it's a long haul to keep those precious eggs warm and safe, despite the cold. Incubation for owl eggs lasts about a month. Can you imagine having to sit still that long?! Let alone on eggs and in the cold. But that's what mama owl has to do, and she's very good at it.

 Just before the laying, mama owl starts losing most of the feathers on her belly (brood patch) so that the warm blood vessels there can serve as a heater to the eggs. So, on top of everything else, she partially naked! Come on, you got to admire mama owl. It's a good thing, too, that Mr. Owl is a good papa. While mama owl is sitting on her eggs, papa owl is hunting and delivering food to her.

After the owlets hatch, it's a full time job feeding all those hungry mouths. Not only that, but not all the eggs may hatch at the same time, so mama owl may still need to 'sit' for awhile. Again, it's a good thing papa owl is there to help. Once all the eggs are hatched, mama owl can leave papa owl to babysit while she spreads her wings and do some of the hunting herself.

 Like other raptors, owlets remain dependent on their parents for several weeks, even months. Mama owl will keep close and continue feeding them until they learn how to fly and hunt on their own.  I say, good job, mama owl!

Let's also give a round of applause to all the loving and hard working human mothers. 

Owl Themed Mother's Day Gifts Products: 

 










Hoota Mama Coffee Mugs
Hoota Mama Coffee Mugs by Clareville
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