{"id":20812,"date":"2015-03-02T05:57:48","date_gmt":"2015-03-02T12:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=20812"},"modified":"2025-05-08T13:04:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T18:04:02","slug":"great-horned-owl-fledgling-and-an-old-granary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/02\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-and-an-old-granary\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Horned Owl fledgling and an old granary"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GreatGreat Horned Owl fledgling and an old granary – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/320, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 300mm, natural light, not baited
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

This morning winter is trying to creep back into northern Utah but I am thinking of warmer weather, Montana and Great Horned Owls. Great Horned Owls have already begun nesting in many areas of the country and in some locations they already have young in the nest.<\/p>\n

I found a nest in the West Desert where an owl was already sitting on the nest but unfortunately the nest is too far from the road and the land the nest tree is on is private property. I’ll get to observe that nest but from a long distance.<\/p>\n

The last time I checked on the Great Horned Owls at the hay barn on Antelope Island the female was inside the nest box which might mean she is on eggs.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately that nesting location is not very appealing for photography because of the metal roof, trusses, and side wall. Some elements of “the hand of man” work for my tastes but those don’t.<\/p>\n

On the other hand I do enjoy images of my subjects, like this Great Horned Owl fledgling in Montana, that show wooden structures like this granary where the wood is worn and shows signs of being weathered by the elements. For me this old wood granary and the young owl work together perfectly.<\/p>\n

Great Horned Owls do not typically build their own nests but take over nests from other birds like hawks, ospreys, and even eagles and they will also nest in old or abandoned structures like barns, sheds, granaries, silos and man made nest boxes.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Great Horned Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This morning winter is trying to creep back into northern Utah but I am thinking of warmer weather, Montana and Great Horned Owls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":143569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,860,209,12],"tags":[4021,2663,4203,4134,11120,4141,4049,4108,4067,4071,12210,3967,4455,294,2315,8594,4193],"class_list":["post-20812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-glacier-county","category-great-horned-owls","category-montana","tag-bird-photography","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-bubo-virginianus","tag-chick","tag-farmland","tag-fledgling","tag-granary","tag-great-horned-owl","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-old-building","tag-owl","tag-owlet","tag-owls","tag-summer-3","tag-wood","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-6731.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-5pG","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7370,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/02\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-in-a-montana-granary-window\/","url_meta":{"origin":20812,"position":0},"title":"Great Horned Owl fledgling in a Montana granary window","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Currently throughout the breeding range of Great Horned Owls the owls have either begun to nest or have nested already. Great Horned Owls have a large range and are found in the U.S., Canada and Central America.","rel":"","context":"In "Glacier County"","block_context":{"text":"Glacier County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/glacier-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Horned Owl fledgling in Glacier County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-montana-mia-mcpherson-6831.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-montana-mia-mcpherson-6831.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-montana-mia-mcpherson-6831.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-montana-mia-mcpherson-6831.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11157,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/11\/25\/missing-montanas-great-horned-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":20812,"position":1},"title":"Missing Montana’s Great Horned Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mated pair of Great Horned Owls perched on an old granary in Montana, Glacier County\u00a0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owls-mates-mia-mcpherson-1970.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owls-mates-mia-mcpherson-1970.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owls-mates-mia-mcpherson-1970.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owls-mates-mia-mcpherson-1970.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5950,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/08\/20\/great-horned-owl-fledgling\/","url_meta":{"origin":20812,"position":2},"title":"Great Horned Owl Fledgling","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Fluffy Great Horned Owl fledgling + knotty weathered wood + large yellow eyes = Wonderful!","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Horned Owl fledgling perched in a granary window, Glacier County, Montana\u00a0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-6782.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-6782.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-6782.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8692,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/06\/24\/great-horned-owlet-in-a-granary-window\/","url_meta":{"origin":20812,"position":3},"title":"Great Horned Owlet in a granary window","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm extremely fond of owls, it might be their forward facing eyes that draws me to them. Of course I love all birds but to me owls are special.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Damp fledgling Great Horned Owl in a granary window in Glacier County, Montana\u00a0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-7050.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-7050.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-7050.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-7050.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7848,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/03\/14\/great-horned-owlet-on-a-montana-farm\/","url_meta":{"origin":20812,"position":4},"title":"Great Horned Owlet on a Montana Farm","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"People are fascinated by owls, I know I am. It might be that owls have forward facing eyes like this Great Horned Owlet. Those eyes truly draw a person in.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Horned Owlet resting in Glacier County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-chick-mia-mcpherson-2010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-chick-mia-mcpherson-2010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-chick-mia-mcpherson-2010.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-chick-mia-mcpherson-2010.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9816,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/10\/17\/a-young-great-horned-owl-is-a-tiger-of-the-sky-in-the-making\/","url_meta":{"origin":20812,"position":5},"title":"Young Great Horned Owl is a Tiger of the Sky in the making","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 17, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I love the descriptive name \"Tiger of the Sky\" when referring to Great Horned Owls, they are fierce, fearless and ferocious and the young owl in the image above is a 'Tiger in the Sky\" in the making.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Tiger of the Sky - Great Horned Owl chick, Glacier County, Montana\u00a0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-juvenile-montana-mia-mcpherson-6944.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-juvenile-montana-mia-mcpherson-6944.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-juvenile-montana-mia-mcpherson-6944.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}