The Owl who fell from the nest

While the great horned owl still is in our pine tree, maybe I should start at the beginning. Our neighbor, Ursula, has been here in Tucson for ten years. Ever since she arrived there have been great horned owls living in her eucalyptus trees. The owls would nest in those trees and produce two or three (four once) baby owlets. One February morning I got a call from Ursula. She was worried because a baby owl had fallen (or been pushed) out of the nest and was on the ground. Now, a baby bird on the ground is not likely to last 24 hours; far too many coyotes and bobcats around. So I went right over (with camera, of course). After determining that the little guy seemed in good health, I took some photos like the one above. Notice the talons are nearly as long as the owl is tall at this point. Very awkward looking. The solution was to create a new nest out of a heavy duty cardboard box and secure it in a nearby tree, then place the owlet in the box and hope for the best. To our surprise and pleasure, the next morning we found a dead sparrow in the box. Evidently, either mom or dad caught the sparrow and placed it in the box during the night. After a couple of weeks the little guy ventured out of the box and on to a branch. After another week he would be on a nearby tree. After a couple of months he would sit in the taller eucalyptus trees with his brothers/sisters. By September all the offspring had left to find their own territories. It feels good sometimes to save an animal's life. It reminds us of how precious life is. Maybe I'll get around to sharing some other "life-saving stories" like the rabbit that fell into our pool -- or, a fringe myotis (a beautiful little bat) that was knocked unconscious flying into a window, or the rattlesnake that was insistent to lie in the middle of the road.  But, for the next couple of days I think I'll stick to owl stories.