Great Horned Owls - Mom & New Baby

We love the nature on Honeymoon Island State Park trails, and this was an experience I'll never forget! Myself, along with quite a few other much more experienced (looking at the incredible costly equipment) photographers spent hours and days (standing in the weeds and bushes) watching this Mother Great Horned Owl and her baby over the months as it grew, and until it fledged! And then, by a freak chance, we saw it on another side trail one day on it's own away from Mom. I was CAPTIVATED by this beautiful creature - just absolutely amazing!!

At first we thought it was just an adult owl, until we got home, and saw to our amazement, a little white baby peering out from under Mom's wing! (2/2/08)

2 weeks later (2/15/08) a ball of fluff! Mom seemed to sleep most of the time, but at any movement, her eyes quickly opened at attention.

A few weeks later (3/9/08) - I was so disappointed that I had missed a few weeks in between!

Getting brave going out on the limbs, and flapping it's wings as if to practice after watching Mom fly off to another tree.

The little baby grown and on it's own - park ranger at gate thought it was a male. (3/17/08)