Mated pair of Great Horned Owls perched on an old granary in Montana, Glacier CountyMated pair of Great Horned Owls

Great Horned Owls and old wood just seem to go together, the warm tones of the wood are a great compliment to the same tones in the plumage of Great Horned Owls. I also like the contrast of the hard lines and textures of the wood compared to the softness and patterns of the owl’s feathers.

This mated pair of Great Horned Owls were photographed in Glacier County, Montana, in fact all of the owls in this post were. The female on the right is slightly larger than the male on the left but I could easily tell the male from the female with this mated pair because he has a “blown eye” that makes him distinctive and easy to ID.

Fledgling Great Horned Owl in Glacier County, MontanaFledgling Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl fledglings seem to have universal appeal. It might be because they rate so high on the cuteness scale! This fledgling Great Horned Owl was resting on the ladder to an old children’s fort. It was chilly that morning so it was probably warming up in the rising sun. On a scale of 1 to 10; with 10 being the best, this one gets an 11 from me.

Male Great Horned Owl in Montana roosting on an old granary. Glacier CountyAdult male Great Horned Owl

This is the male Great Horned Owl on the outside of an old granary, if you look at his eyes you can see that the left pupil is larger than the right and isn’t uniformly round. For a closer look at his eye you can look at my post titled “Birds with blown eyes“. It was warm the morning I photographed this male Great Horned Owl and not long after I took this image he flew into the granary to escape the bright sun.

Old granary and a Great Horned Owl in Glacier County, MontanaOld Granary and a Great Horned Owl in Glacier County

Whenever I am out around old buildings I always look for owls in the doors or windows and I always hope to see a Great Horned or Barn Owl there. The male is shown here basking in the golden light of dawn.

Yes, I am missing the Great Horned Owls I know and love in Montana.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Great Horned Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.