Junior and his mate, Penelope, used the same sycamore tree cavity for their nest as they did the previous year. In early May, we began to catch an occasional glimpse of a little head inside the cavity. Finally, on May 18, we saw little Arnold peeking out the "window" of the cavity. Penelope was nearby, trying to entice him to leave the nest.
Arnold
Finally, on May 20, 2006, Arnold ventured out of the cavity. A few hours later, he had made his way to a nearby tree. His older sister, Annie, evidently had left the nest several days earlier.
Arthur
Little, Arthur followed his brother out of the cavity a few hours later. He was the smallest and probably the last to hatch.
Arthur showed the typical curiosity of young male Barred Owls from the moment he left the cavity. Notice the fuzzy down that covers most of his body. The down will be replaced by feathers in a few weeks.
A few weeks after fledging, the young owls have crossed Killbuck Creek and feathers are replacing the down. This is Arthur, who is also curious about birders and photographers.
Annie
The first of the triplets to leave the nest also proved to be the most difficult to find and photograph. Annie exhibited the typical reticence of females from the beginning. Here she is seen in mid-June, about a month after leaving the nest.
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