Each spring and summer, well-meaning people pick up and try to raise baby owls found on the ground, such as these two, photographed by Dennis Kemper. Automatic reaction to seeing these fluff balls huddled together would be to think they fell out of that tree and are orphaned. They may look lost and vulnerable, but more than likely their parents know exactly where they are and will continue to feed them. Many young owls are quite capable of climbing back into their tree using beaks and talons. If you check out Dennis' Owl sibling slideshow, you'll see these two Keweenaw babies, getting their start at life in a place that usually just sees the other side of the spectrum.

Hi All

Who, what, where...

oh oh ma....what's that????

What cemetary is that?

Wow, great shots, what timing.

Those talons would do serious damage even at this young age.

Great slide show.

Photographs like this do not drop into your lap. A very very good job.
Regards,
Donn

Excellent slide show! Those young owls (Barred Owls?) look like they are hamming it up for the camera. Were they still there the next day? Or were they back up the tree?

How cool! What a rare sight! thanks for sharing your pics.

Very impressive Mr. Kemper. Thank you for sharing these photos and the slide show with us.

Awesome pics! I think owls are intriguing. The colors on these two are a fine example of Mother Nature at her best. I've seen the darker colored owls but never this color.

Nice job Dennis! Fantastic pictures - I loved the slide show. Thanks for sharing!

A great learning experience for my classroom - slide show for everyone as part of our Michigan learning. Thanks for sharing - were able to share with the class at break time!!

I am amazed at this picture. What strange looking creatures they are.

These are such great photos. Thanks for sharing them. Were the Parents spotted (ah - that's a pun!) when the photos were taken?

I wanted to know more - I found this site - http://www.owling.com/Owling.htm It's pretty interesting, but no shots of the young.

Is that the Liminga Cemetary?

My bet on species would be Great Horned Owl. Although it's hard to tell from fledgling plumage, the plumage around the eyes seems fairly mature. One of the photos shows a fledgling raising what could be immature ear tufts as well. but the real clue is in the face - compare the faces of these owls with the faces of mature Great Horned and Barred Owls. Barred owls have "all black" eyes and yellowish beaks, and barred patterns in the face (page 175 in Peterson's Eastern Birds, 4th ed). The Great Horned in the same book (Page 173) exhibits the smae yellow eyes, black beak, and brown area around the eyes with vertical black stripes on the edge.

Plus they're really BIG babies!

I love these photos! A wonderful site I've been watching for years is http://www.owlcam.com. There are no owls using the nest box this year, but you can look back thru 1997 and see lots of great barred owl family photos.

Terrific slide show, Dennis. Enjoyed all of the pictures.

To Yooper in Vegas, now that you left it has warmed up here! "Low Grade"

is that the oscar cemetary?

Looks like Swedetown Cemetary.

I want to thank everyone for all of your kind compliments. I was very lucky to have the privilege of viewing these majestic creatures. The pictures in my gallery were taken a week apart. Can you see the difference? I was able to view the Momma Owl, but unable to get a picture as of yet. These Great Horned Owls appear ready to take wing soon. I wish them Good Luck on their journey of life.

What a great pair of hooters!!

Cute babies....I'm amazed Dennis Kemper was able to get so close. I hope their parents weren't too far away to protect them from other preditors on the prowl. Neat slide show too.

ok Owls scare me. :( but know that its a cemetary I'm really scared!!!! LOL Sorry for my horrible comment. Gosh

Can anyone help me? I received a letter from a member of the a historical society downstate MI looking for information on a Michigan Towns Project Survey . This project aims to identify Michigan communities for a history research project. I have helped in the past for Painesdale. If you can give me any information on the towns of Redridge, Atlantic Mine, and Kenton please contact me by email.It is a two page survey on past present , etc. They will send you a free copy of the final project. Thanks in advance.

I can always count on this website for the best pictures. These are remarkable shots! Beautiful! Thanks, as always- Love this site.

Owls well that ends well....:)

Vanessa , Im with you ... they scare me too...
they look spooky but I appericate the photo...

Looks like the cemetery (Lakeside?) just out of Hancock on M203.

GREAT pictures! :)

Gosh they're adorable! I've never seen an owl during the day (except in "Harry Potter" - LOL) What a great find. Don't they look like they're wearing little "hoods"?

Man, I wish I was there to see those two cuties! Dennis, thank you so much for sharing these pictures!

What great pictures! I am also a fourth grade teacher. I am taking my class on a field trip this Friday to a nature center where every year we see an owl's nest from a distance. Last year, we managed to see the top of its fluffy head. I will definitely share this slide show tomorrow with my class because I know they will never be that close to such magnificent creatures. They will love it! I often use the Pasty website to explain the things I teach about Michigan all year. Thanks for sharing.

Friends up the road raised a baby owl years ago. He use to like to sit in the beams of the garage watching the guys work on the cars. He also liked to hang onto a broom handle and be swung around,broom operator holding the corn end of the broom and spinning around so he went horizontal to the ground. Probably gave him the sensation of flying without all the work.He'd sit out on the end of the broom and lean in and hang on. Went by the name of Owley.

Wow, what great shots. They look like they are cuddled up under a down blanket in the first shots. I am sure too others noticed all the feathers,dropings and bones littering the base of that tree. How well the blend into the bark when the camera pulls away. Last summer here at our Library we hosted a Raptor program and the Kalamazoo Nature center brought the most wonderful birds. They also had a leg of a Great Horned and the talon spread was as large as my palm, the claws were shaped like my Cat's but Much larger!! Thank again for another great picture!

Great shots!!! I had to do a double take when I noticed all of the bones! Yikes!

Its storming here in Houston. Very Loud thunder and very dark out. Its a spooky day!! The owls just add to it. Yikes!

They scare me too. Those very sharp beaks and eerie green eyes...I would freak out if I ever bumped into one. I can't even put that up as wallpaper. It would spook me.

I am remembering a time when I was young. My mom was fishing from a boat at Lake Gerald. She had a bobber on the line and some sort of flashy lure. The owl went after the lure and she reeled him in. Very Scary for her. Yikes!

My kids dissected owl pellets for their biology class.
Their teacher was given the pellets by state biologists.
Pellets are the oblong, fur-covered regurgitated bones
and other undigestables... the students found perfect
little mouse and shrew skeletons in them.
Too bad owls have been long-associated, as with
wolves, with the so-called 'dark side'... they are
beautiful birds and help keep rodents' populations in
check. Great photos of these babies.

This is such a coincidence! I had just finished reading this interesting article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer while having my lunch:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/172691_owl11.html

Then I remembered that I hadn't yet looked at today's photo at Pasty.com and wow! Owls!

How cool. And the slideshow is great. Thanks Dennis.

What a very beautiful slide show. I love it. They are gorgeous little baby owls. I hope you don't let it out where they are, their Mother might want to attack someone who wants to get just a little too close for comfort. Just enjoy the pictures as they are, very beautiful.

soon to be wise old owls

Maija in Seattle, thanks for the owl pellet article in the
P-I ! Interesting read:)

Julie Barrie The Netherlands formly Michigan:

I just got a letter from the Netherlands not too long ago!!!!! I just wanted to say thanks for the comment!!!! Owls ARE scarey!!!!!!!!! LOL

Try www.kidwings.com for a virtual owl pellet.

Too bad owls don't eat beavers!

When I lived wa-a-a-a-y downstate in Wyandotte (south of Detroit) I was walking to work one morning at first light and saw a snowy owl flying back home to its nest. Never saw one before, never saw one since, although my Dad saw probably the saem owl or its mate a few days later. Hauntingly beautiful! I love how their wings make no noise when they fly.

LOW GRADE, IF IT WARMED UP THEN THE FLIES ARE OUT AND YOU STILL HAVE TO STAY INSIDE.

I think it is Lakeview in Calumet. Great shot.

Man I love those owls.........I am going to try and stay up until the new pic comes up so I can finally be first on the site. After hours of boring meetings, my chances of success are limited, but I will try. There is a stuffed and very old Snow Owl perched at an inner city Detroit plumbing supply house. It has been there so long, that nobody notices, but I mentioned to the owner that he was facing hard time should anyone see this poor little guy from the 30's or 40's. The sad thing is that this guy will be dispatched because no one wants the grief, but he could be a great educational specimen for the right environment. Tough choices I guess.......

I forwarded the slide show link to Northbirding.com the folks there ought to love it!

RCW, Fran GA, Dave H. in Tenn., Alex, Sue in AZ, SDC, and anyone else who knows what I'm talking about---Just sitting here having a COLD drink of Ralph Wenbergs Spring water from at the other end of Woodside! YUMMY! (Running smooth & clear for over 100 years!) Don't ask me how I got it, I'll never tell! Dave in Tenn. probably knows!!

Steve, the Flying Troll, are you still awake?
WAKE UP, WAKE UP, it's almost time to be first.

Thanks Maija from Seattle!

Where is Steve?

Russ. I ll bet Yumpoo brought it down for ya! I'll have to try some myself, havnt for eons.

Russ E. St.Clair County:
Don't recall that Ralph Wenberg Spring Water but it sure sounds refreshing. Could use some here today. Its hot and humid in Warren today....but a nice day to cruise in the Nova !!!!

This looks to me like the Cemetary out behind MTU in Houghton. I think this is the corner where my Father is buried as well as my grandparents and where my family will also be buried. Ofcoarse I could be wrong. Can't wait to hear from the photographer on that. The owls are lovely. What a great shot!!

i like baby owls

Qui,Qui