![\"great](\"http:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/great-horned-owl-84751.jpg\" "\\"great-horned-owl-8475\\"")
<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nGreat Horned Owl in a barn cutout<\/em><\/p>\n Most often I prefer my birds on natural perches but there’s just something about owls and old barn wood that appeals to me.\u00a0\u00a0I think owls, particularly Barn Owls and Great\u00a0Horned Owls,\u00a0often just seem to\u00a0“fit” in many rustic settings.\u00a0 In the image above, I like the warm tones of the bird contrasting with the cooler\u00a0tones of the black background and some of the wood.<\/p>\n \u00a0Juvenile (no “horns” yet) in warm, early morning light<\/em><\/p>\n The youngster above was sitting in an east facing cutout in an old granary just as the sun came up.\u00a0 The effect of the warm light on both bird and wood is fairly dramatic (no saturation added).\u00a0 This juvenile is wet from the dew, thus the “spikiness” on the top of the head.\u00a0 They look very different from the adults\u00a0before they develop the horns.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Male and female, a breeding pair<\/em><\/p>\n I like this photo for\u00a0two reasons.\u00a0 It gives us a good look at\u00a0both the\u00a0front and back\u00a0views of\u00a0GHO’s in one image and\u00a0it so well\u00a0illustrates reverse sexual dimorphism.\u00a0 Sexual dimorphism is a difference in form between\u00a0males and females in the same species.\u00a0 In most birds, males are larger than females – one type of sexual dimorphism.\u00a0\u00a0 Not so with these owls and\u00a0most other raptors.\u00a0 In the\u00a0image above, the female on the right is larger than the male on the left – thus reverse<\/em> sexual dimorphism.\u00a0 There is still debate as to precisely why this trait was selected for in many raptor species.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0Siblings in a sunny spot on the granary floor<\/em><\/p>\n Usually the owls raise their family up high among the rafters\u00a0in one of the granaries or barns\u00a0but one year they raised them on the\u00a0 floor of a cluttered old granary.\u00a0 I was surprised that predators didn’t take advantage of the situation but these two owlets thrived.\u00a0 GHO’s are known to be extremely aggressive in defending their nests and young and I suspect that fact played a role in the survival of these owlets.<\/p>\n \u00a0Exploring the farm<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The fledglings can fly at a surprisingly early stage, when they still\u00a0look too gangly, awkward and undeveloped to do so.\u00a0 You never know where you will find one (or two), especially in the early morning.\u00a0 They seem to make a concerted effort to explore the farm as soon and as often as\u00a0possible.\u00a0 It’s amazing where they turn up sometimes.<\/p>\n Juvenile on an old ladder after a night of exploration<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n