Update on the orphan owlet from the raptor rehabilitor:
“The owlet is eating like a pig and doing well. He’s spending days outside in the GHOW enclosure with foster dad GHOW Royal to ensure he knows he’s a GHOW, and enjoy fresh air and nature sounds. For now, when he’s in the outdoor enclosure in the daytime, he’s in a large sheltered nestbox with wooden slats so he can see and hear Royal but will stay secure in the nestbox while he’s still smaller. I’m bringing him in at night because it’s still a bit cool overnight here and he doesn’t have siblings to snuggle with for warmth. Eventually he’ll be staying in the outdoor enclosure with Royal 24/7 and he’ll have room to learn/ practice flying.”
If you would like to donate to Wildlife Rescue, Inc. in New Mexico to help the orphaned owlet and other rescued wildlife, go to https://wildliferescuenm.org/donate-give/.
Mama Owl waiting for Daddy Owl to bring breakfast.
House Finches in silhouette
House Finches
The Mudback of Notre Pond holding his head up
Another turtle checking things out
Still Dawn
Ducks in the mist
Tracks on the beach. The trail is from a beaver’s tail dragging in the sand.
Sunrise
Mudback of Notre Pond changed position after sunrise
Blue Grosbeak
The Lone Owlet looking east after sunrise
Laurie caught El Vato Kitty sitting with the silver-haired Sasquatch
Sunset
The Lone Owlet at dusk
The moon, Jupiter and Venus were line up nicely tonight.
The smaller owl was out of the tree on the ditchbank when Jake and I went on our early morning walk. Three coyotes were eyeing the owlet. I chased off the coyotes, ran home with Jake, grabbed a box, ran back, put the owl in the box, took it home, put it in the library, covered it and shut the door so the cats wouldn’t bother it. Luckily, Daddy Owl did not attack me, and Mama Owl was nowhere to be seen. I took the owlet to Animal Rescue in Albuquerque.
Daddy Owl watching th grounded owlet.
Owlet in the box
Sunrise
Lesser Goldfinch
The three coyotes were playing on the ditch bank across the ditch from the owlet’s tree when Jake and I resumed our walk.
No much left of this iceberg floating down the Rio Grande at dawn.
Female Blue Grosbeak
Yertle the Turtle hanging out in a mud puddle in the almost-dry, clearwater ditch.
Owlet @ Dawn
What looks like either a flycatcher or western bluebird hanging out above Mama Owl. I think it figured it’s less likely to become dinner above Mama than below Mama.
The mystery kitty started hanging around last summer, fighting with our cats through the wire in the catio. You can read more about that at https://wp.me/p1yQyy-cr8. He has always run away from us whenever he sees us, but Laurie noticed he’d been looking thin, so she started leaving food and water out for him. He was meowing at the Sally port door this afternoon, and our cats were not fighting with him through the wire. I walked out the door and he ran. I sat down on the step and called him. He slowly came back, sniffed me, got up on the step next to me, and let me pet him for a few seconds before he ran off again. I went back inside and in a few minutes he was meowing at the door again. I took a can of cat food out and put it in his food bowl, and he really appreciated the canned food. I sat on the step with him eating at my feet and took a few photos. He definitely looks rougher than he did when we first started seeing him last summer.
The humming bird that was buzzing aroung us while the mystery kitty was eating.
If you didn’t find the owlet in the long shot, here’s a closer view.