By Sally Siko

A pair of Great horned Owls have nested at the very top of a Longleaf pine in my backyard.
I just took these 2 photos a few minutes ago while sitting on my porch.
They are by far my noisiest neighbors haha!

Each evening at dusk the owls call out to one another with a series of loud grunting calls which sort of sound like a goose is being strangled in the trees.
The owlet (I think it’s just one) hatched about a week ago and I can hear it squeaking back at its parents while they hunt for a snack throughout the night.
Unfortunately I still haven’t had an opportunity to get a great photographs of these guys since every time I’ve seen them they are in shade, backlit by the setting sun.
Still it was nice to get at least these two photos to document their presence.

From the mountains to the coast, Great horned Owls are a familiar though elusive sight across North Carolina. They are mainly nocturnal hunters but if you get up early you might catch a look at one at dawn.
They prefer to hang out in medium-growth pine forests, or mixed forests, preferably in dry areas.
Like other raptors, these large owls can be spotted perched on stubs, bare trees, or poles in fields. Despite their proclivity toward drier areas, Great Horned Owls are often found in pine stands adjacent to tidal marshes and other such wetlands because of the wider availability of prey which may be found in these transitional habitats.
Look for them throughout the year and keep a sharp eye out for fledgling owls appearing later this month.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5