Erin: May 2010

IslandWood has two resident Barred Owls named Gus and Isabelle. Every year they make a new nest, lay eggs, and have babies. Owlets. We have a owl researcher that comes out once every few months to check on Gus, Isabelle, and the babies when they arrive. A few weekends ago we suspected the owlets were big enough to be banded, so Jaime (owl extraordinaire) came out. He straps a rope to himself and we watch him shimmy up the old snag up to the hole that the nest lies in. He scares Isabelle out of her nest and one by one, he lowers the owlets down to us in a bag. Baby owlets, so fluffy and cute! We weight them, put bands around their feet, and take some time to ooh and ahh and take pictures. Meanwhile, Jaime is still up in the tree and getting dive-bombed by mom. He hoists the owlets back up to their nest and we leave them alone. Jaime came down with only a few bloody wounds.