Once a Naturalist, Always a Naturalist!

Clark attended her college class as usual which just happened to be outside today. During this class, her teacher she noticed a baby owl sitting on some bleachers. After talking with some the other UNF employees, found out this baby Great Horned Owl had been there since early this morning with no sign of it's mommy. We called in a little backup from Charles Hubbuch, a Sawmill Slough Preserve Curator, for a second opinion. We concluded this baby was healthy and that mommy should be near. The problem was, little one was perching in a very high traffic area on campus and surly mommy wouldn't come feed him if there were this many people around. So with a towel and a cardboard box, we eased him in. We took the box a little ways away to a patch of woods and released him there. He was very feisty little rascal but when all was said and done, the baby Great Horned Owl was safe in the underbrush. During the fledgling time, mommy birds will test the babies and teach them the essentials to living on their own. We are hoping this is one of those cases and she will raise him to be a fine Great Horned Owl. However, we are monitoring him for the next few days to make sure mommy does come back to feed him and if his condition worsens, I will take him to BEAKS to be cared for.