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Thursday, March 14, 2013

The red-phase owl is learning about the nest box.

While I am still not sure which owl is the male and which is the female, one thing is clear.  The gray-phase owl (I am going to call it Gray--perhaps in honor of one of my longest followers, Grey) clearly has been around the nest box before and is "wooing" the red-phase.  Every other year for 8 years now, the female was a gray phase owl.  Last year, both were.  In 2011, I called the male a red-phase but he was really much more a brown-phase (see photo in Sibley, Field Guide to the Birds).  The red-phase (hereafter called, you guessed it, Red!) owl is an incredibly beautiful rufous-red.  I hope to be able to share a photo sometime soon but it is very shy.  Now I will shut up and let you see a video clip from yesterday morning and let you help decide which is the male and which is the female--not until we have eggs will be know for sure.




1 comment:

Grey said...

I am so flattered in your choice of names! I love watching these little fellas. So must news here! Wow! Nice of them to give us a chance to tell which is which by color. You are so wonderful to keep track of the comings and goings and doing the videos with commentary. It is great! I appreciate all your hard work! I am looking forward to this new adventure--I too will miss mamma though.