We didn't come to Fort Desoto expecting to find an owl, but the ranger at the park gate told us to look at the Osprey nests because there was an owl nesting in one 😀🦉 It wasn't hard to find the correct nest, because the wind was blowing hard enough to make her ears flap!
After driving making several loops around Festival Park, looking for Burrowing Owls, we threw in the towel and decided to head to our hotel to rest before dinner. As we were leaving the park, I spotted this guy in a tree. Do you see what I see?
Punta Gorda has the largest known nesting owl population in Florida. We orginially tried to find the owls at Festival Park to no avail, but a friendly birder who we spoke to there told us to look around in Punta Gorda. Once you know what you are looking for, it isn't hard to find the nests. The nests are obviously in the ground and there are four white PVC "stakes" marking off a perimeter around the hole. The owls are diurnal (active during the day), so all we had to do is drive around to find the owl sitting near its burrow. They are very well camoflauged, but once you get the hang of it, they are easy to find.
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