July 19, 2010

Some things I wanted to show you

I wanted to share a few things with you.

A month or so ago I found this nest in a big Rhododendron bush we have. A bird hanging out in the bush alerted me to it. A very fluffy juvenile Scrub Jay was staying hidden in the bush till he got big enough to venture into the rest of the garden. I looked further and saw this nest in the bush.



Last week we decided we needed to do some trimming on that shrub and I clipped it out to have a closer look.



I took this photo for scale. It seems it is constructed of twigs from our dogwood tree and what looks like the stuff used in hanging baskets. The fibers in the middle are quite course and tough. It's a very clean nest too.





It was built into the top of this bush up against the house under the eave. A good place if I do say so myself.

The other exciting thing we saw recently was an owl release by the Audubon Society of Portland. They had seven Barn Owls that were brought into the center by a rancher who found them in a bale of hay that had just been trucked in from an unknown place. They were itty-bitty and stayed at the care center for about three months.





This is my *favorite* photo! I love the look on that little boy's face and the look on the vet's face. Priceless.

The owls were released at a school adjacent to a new nature park that will open in the fall, Graham Oaks Nature Park. It's located in Wilsonville and is 250 acres of oaks, fir, open meadows, and wetlands. I can't wait to bird the trails later in the year! (We did see a bluebird that evening too!)











A couple of them flew off towards the woods. Others flew to some pergolas near the main entrance to the park.









There were two of these pergolas and each of them attracted an owl, as well as a building in the vicinity. As we left they were still surveying their new territory. It's a big world out there for a three month old owl. Good luck, Barn Owls!!

We just got back from three days in central Oregon and I have tons of photos to share with you. Soon, very soon.

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful! I love barn owls. I'm looking forward to trying out that park with you.

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  2. Wow - really neat happenings. The jay nest is big! The owls are so sweet. I'm thinking good thoughts for them.

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  3. VERY cool photos of the owl release. I agree with you - that photo of the little boy and the vet is priceless, indeed! I hope they do well in this world.

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  4. Oh. My. God. I am SO excited about these photos! I've never actually seen a barn owl in the wild and seeing a bunch released must have been awesome. Oh and the new park sounds awesome!

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