Great-horned Owl nesting in my town ! 4/16/2024.

Downtown Easton is just a few miles from my house, and I often walk around admiring the beautiful architecture. One of my goals while walking was to check out the resident Red-tailed Hawk nest that has been used for the last ten years to raise young as I had seen the couple flying around town. The nest is really high up in a White Pine with nearby construction, and I could tell there was something in the nest but it looked bulkier than a hawk. A good look and identification required either a spotting scope or my long lens camera, so I drove back home and chose to bring my camera with the 500 mm lens. A few snapped pictures left me no doubt that the nest was occupied by a female Great-horned Owl. It is very late to see this nesting owl as they usually lay their eggs in February-March and the young have fledged by now (see previous post). It is possible that eggs were laid by this owl a bit late, and they are almost ready to hatch or the chicks are very young. Only time will tell as I continue to monitor the nest.