Owl Diary: Sunday 1/27
The east owl was back in its hideaway in the rip-rap this morning, abandoning its more exposed spot of yesterday. One reason why this owl tends to change its perching spot so frequently, in contrast to the north owl, may be that the east owl has to deal with constant ground squirrel activity. It’s like living in the middle of a playground. I’ve noted ground squirrel encounters earlier, see for example Owl Diary: Saturday 1/19, Owl and Squirrel and Rock Owl Comes Out. This morning I saw no confrontations but plenty of nearby squirrel activity that probably worked on the owl’s nerves, even with its eyes closed.
Meanwhile the north owl perched quietly in its usual spot. I’ve seen ground squirrels a few feet away from the owl’s spot, but have yet to see anything like an encounter between the two. Possibly that accounts for this owl’s greater site fidelity compared to the east owl. This morning the north owl had the benefit of gentle swells in the water behind it, which made the view all the more beautiful. It looks as if the waves would engulf the bird, but they undulate safely behind and below the bird’s position.
