Great Gray Owl Nest, 3 owlets

Great gray owls nest in heavy timber near green, grassy meadows. Minimal effort seems to be given to nest construction. They will take over an old raven’s nest or use a natural feature as shown here. This lodgepole pine had broken off about 15 feet above the ground. When the forest fires of 1988 burned through here, the fire charred the bark and burned down into the top of the stump, creating a perfectly symmetrical six-inch-deep bowl. The three owlets watched me curiously as I walked all around them. When I saw them lined up with the two large splinters of wood on either side, I made this photograph, and left, so their mother would come back soon. 

Nest hollowed out on top of burned Pine tree.

Location: North America

Every print and book are signed by Tom Murphy