Barred Owl

After leaving Venice, on 25 March, Erika and I revisited one of our favorite Florida locations—the National Audubon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Admission cost is reduced for Audubon members who remember to bring their membership cards. This visit was our third, and we saw different things each time.

One highlight of this year’s visit was this fledgling Barred Owl. Nests are found in mature forests with good understory. Nest trees are often found near water, and usually in areas with high prey densities. Eggs are usually laid from March through April, and as early as December. The young fledge at about five weeks, and the parents feed them for four to five months (Mazur and James 2000).