April 10, 2019 – West Bend, WI – It was March 21 when the Great Horned Owl returned to her nest in West Bend. Greg Lofy from ASP Images has been capturing the progression of the owlets nesting in the side of a cream city brick building in downtown West Bend.
The latest photos show a pair of owlets… although three young ones have been spotted in the past.
The owls are nestled in an old duct vent along the south side of a four-story building downtown.
Click HERE to see the original photos by ASP Images.
Fun fact from Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
Which parent sits on the nest?
Only the female incubates the eggs. She has a featherless area on her abdomen called a “brood patch” which is designed to keep the eggs warm. This patch has lots of blood vessels just beneath the skin that transfer heat to the eggs. The male does not have a brood patch.
What happens to the bird droppings and leftovers from the prey?
Nestlings usually defecate over the side of the nest after four weeks, leaving a pungent spray of “whitewash” on shrubs and saplings in the understory. Prey is swallowed whole and can be used as nest material.
