“Hey, Mary do you think you can make the flight?” “I’m not sure. I need more practice!”
“I’ll give it a try!” “High beak!”
“Hahahaha! I think we can do it!”
Paul and Mary were very active tonight flying from one spot to another on the tree. I will not be surprised if they fly to the trees between the ditches tonight.
Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn at 5:17 am. Jupiter is catching up to Mars.
Mama Owl in the top of the tree above Paul and Mary. Peter in the tree across the ditch.
Mary was napping, but then she popped right up when Mama brought her a mouse.
Feeding Mary and little more of whatever Mama had in her beak.
Paul was feeling left out.
“I want another mouse, Mama!” “Enough already!”
Paul finally got up onto the same branch with Mary.
Mary testing her wings.
Mama looking for another meal. She flies off the catch something.
After howling winds blew most of the night from 9:30 pm to 4:00 am, the sky was full of smoke in the morning. The winds had fanned the fires burning in New Mexico. If you are feeling the burn it could be because Uranus is “very close to Sun…” Uranus rises at 5:28 am on May 17th, and it’s “just 10 degrees from the Sun in the sky, so it is difficult or impossible to see it.”
Paul (lower left) and Mary (upper right) were still in the big cottonwood that the nest is in.
Peter, Paul, and Mary this evening.
Sunset
A couple of Flycatchers were frolicking in a tree under the bright morning sun.
Mary and Daddy Owl
Paul trying to get a little shade from the branch above him.
Mary and Paul in the morning and at dusk.
Peter was high in a cottonwood across the ditch from the nest enjoying the shade in the morning. At dusk, he was on a different branch where he had a good view of the Clearwater ditch and bosque. He was much harder for me to see between the leaves and branches.
The moon was at 96.9% full tonight. It doesn’t pass the meridian tomorrow night, and it will be eclipsed into a super flower blood moon.
We did not see the Peter, the owlet that flew the coop, tonight. He might have flown over to the bosque. Paul, the larger of these two, looks like he’s ready to fly. But poor little Mary still has some growing to do.
Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn among the stars. We had a clear morning.
The two older owlets are branching out.
Neil Diamond and the Iris
It’s a real challenge to get a bat in flight at dusk.
Owl Five napping: Daddy Owl, Owlets, and Mama Owl
Sunrise
All three owlets were out of the nest this morning. The youngest owlet is closest to the camera.
Daddy Owl
Spunk
Silver
Gwendolyn
Glenda
Sasha
Loki
Marble
Bonus Bunny
Click on images to enlarge them. See what shapes you find in the clouds.
Western Bluebird taking off with a bug
Male and female Western Bluebirds. They seem to be a pair of lovebirds.
Matt & Leslie’s new Husky Cross they rescued. Her name is Sasha. She looks a little like our wolf, Mosby.
“Whatcha looking at?”
“Talk to the tail feathers, Paparazzo!”
While the crowd and owlets were waiting for Mama Owl to bring dinner, she was perched on a tree looking for something to catch for dinner.
Venus, Jupiter, Mars & Saturn
The Rio Grande is running higher
Laurie said I’m a “dust denier!”
Peepers’ peeping
La Luna
Off Center & Not Even 