Quite the pair

The owls were still in the same location this morning when I checked. I first found the young pair atop one of the snags at the marsh edge. I watched them from three different locations, finally finding a spot with no branches blocking my view. They didn't seem to be bothered by my presence, often trying to get a closer look at me (top shot). When someone finally came through the trail pulling a noisy wagon, the two turned their heads in the direction of the noise (bottom shot). They then moved off to a spruce tree, where their mother was perched.

I did a bit of research on these birds. It seems that juveniles will remain in the vicinity of their nesting site during the summer months, moving on in the fall to begin to establish territories of their own. The adults, however, who usually wander during the summer, return to their breeding territories in the fall.