Really nice photos!  Thanks...

I took a short trip to a birding festival on the shores of Lake Erie in Northern Ohio (with a field trip into Canada) last week, and took some photos if anyone is interested.  Screech Owl is the only raptor, but there are lots of songbirds...

http://bellhanley.smugmug.com/photos/swfpopup.mg?AlbumID=17173119&AlbumKey=pRVttF

I hope no one has posted this one yet:

http://wimp.com/dolphinbubbles/

Ei, my deepest sympathy to you and your Dad; I know how hard it is. 

Nora, I'm sorry about your ankle...must be driving you crazy!  I hope it heals quickly and you can get back on your feet soon.

Have a safe trip; I'll keep you and your mom in my thoughts.

Patti

Thanks everyone!  This was a birthday with a zero at the end...

You're 20!  You go girl!   

Yes, that's it; I'm 20!  Just prematurely gray, wrinkled, and stiff after sitting too long...

Thanks everyone!  This was a birthday with a zero at the end, so my sisters made sure I was tortured sufficiently, starting with my decorated cubicle at work (my little sister works at the same company), and lovely accessories they made me wear to dinner tonight (an over-the-hill lei, a tiara, some lovely glasses, a couple of blinking lights, a balloon for the back of my chair, etc.).  Jeane organized the family dinner, and it was lots of fun!

I just started a new job two weeks ago, so I'm going to be short on vacation days this year...so no Rochester visit for me.     I hope there are some successful hatches, healthy juvenile peregrines, and you guys get to see some great flying!

Awesome!  Thanks...

Speaking of funny head angles...and I'm not sure I can explain this in words, but I once attended an owl program at a local nature center.  The raptor rehabbers brought a handful of education birds and did a classroom thing, then we went on a night hike in the woods with flashlights to see if we could find any owls.

Anyway, in the classroom they did one thing that amused all of us.  I think they largely did it to illustrate what is means that owls can turn their heads 270 degrees.  They got two owls out at the same time; one was an Eastern Screech Owl and the second was a Barn Owl.  The Screech Owl is small enough to be potential prey for the Barn Owl, so the Screech Owl was keeping his eyes glued to the Barn Owl.  The Barn Owl was well fed, and didn't seem particularly interested in the smaller owl.  They kept the Screech Owl stationary, and started with the Barn Owl at the front of the room, and as the lecturer was talking, he did an entire clockwise turn about the room with the Barn Owl...of course the Screech Owl followed the Barn Owl with his eyes and his head...first 180 degrees as the Barn Owl reached the back of the room, then he kept turning his head in the same direction until the Barn Owl reached the left side of the room...a full 270 degrees!  It was quite stunning to watch.  The little owl finally had to relocate his head as the Barn Owl continued back to the front of the room.  Pretty fun!

Yes, this is the same location.  Emma built this nest in a different spot in the same yard.

... And so difficult to see...

That is the truth!  I think of myself as pretty wildlife-knowledgeable, and had no idea, until Paul posted a map of their range, that they cover so much of North America, including my own state.  Sneaky little nocturnal critters.

this looks like 3 owlets, 1 egg - right?
can't really be sure. may have one AWOL.

Are you speculating that an owlet or an egg has gone AWOL?  Tickled my funny bone -- I have a visual image of an egg trying to sneak out of the box in the dark of night...except it discovers that it has no legs or climbing appendages.

Wow, that did seem fast...my sense of time is all messed up lately...thanks for posting the updates!