Great Horned Owls in the Sonoran Desert, 2010 - Page 1
I've been following the development of three new chicks this year. I got my first glimpse of one on March 5, 2010. By April 18, one chick has fledged, and there are two more in the nest, which is situated in a large saguaro cactus. Click on any image for a larger version. Mostly taken with Nikon D300 with Nikon 80-400 lens. Updated April 18.
March 5, 2010. The white spot in front is a baby owl barely visible.
March 5, 2010. The white spot in front is a baby owl barely visible.

 March 12, 2010. The head of one chick is clearly visible to the right of the mother owl.
March 12, 2010. The head of one chick is clearly visible to the right of the mother owl.

 March 16, 2010. Baby owl with beak open. Mother owl watching me closely.
March 16, 2010. Baby owl with beak open. Mother owl watching me closely.
April 1, 2010. Two owl chicks in the nest.
April 1, 2010. Two owl chicks in the nest.

 April 1, 2010. One of the parent owls silhouetted on a saguaro cactus.
April 1, 2010. One of the parent owls silhouetted on a saguaro cactus.

 April 1, 2010. One of the owls watching me in the evening.
April 1, 2010. One of the owls watching me in the evening.
April 7, 2010. One of the adult owls keeping an eye on me as I try to get closer, and closer...
April 7, 2010. One of the adult owls keeping an eye on me as I try to get closer, and closer...

 April 7, 2010. The adult owl flew to a second cactus when I got too close to the first. I slowly approached and got even closer for a handheld shot with the 80-400 zoom. (Most of my owl images were shot from a tripod).
April 7, 2010. The adult owl flew to a second cactus when I got too close to the first. I slowly approached and got even closer for a handheld shot with the 80-400 zoom. (Most of my owl images were shot from a tripod).

 April 11, 2010. One adult, two baby owls in the nest. Each keeping one eye on me!
April 11, 2010. One adult, two baby owls in the nest. Each keeping one eye on me!
April 18, 2010. Two owls still in the nest. Almost ready to fledge. For the first time today, I saw a third young owl, only because he had already fledged and was hiding in a nearby tree.
April 18, 2010. Two owls still in the nest. Almost ready to fledge. For the first time today, I saw a third young owl, only because he had already fledged and was hiding in a nearby tree.

 April 18, 2010. Magnificent bird. This is one of the best shots of an owl I've ever gotten.
April 18, 2010. Magnificent bird. This is one of the best shots of an owl I've ever gotten.

 April 18, 2010. One of the young owls in the nest, backlit by the sun.
April 18, 2010. One of the young owls in the nest, backlit by the sun.