Great Horned Owls Are Taking Over Laundry Baskets As Nests
You never know what you will see when you look at the trees. They are beautiful and peaceful, but sometimes they hold a secret.
Somebody experienced the secret a tree can hold when they looked up and saw a laundry basket. It was an unusual sight, but it was why the green basket was in the tree that took them by surprise.
A mother and father great horned owl were using the basket as a nest. They even had two owlets in the basket.
After this was mentioned on social media, it got the attention of some locals. This included Brandon Williamson, who lives in Vancouver Island, BC.
What happens when you put owl your eggs in one (laundry) basket.
All of these were taken over the last month – 2 nesting Great Horned Owl families and one lone Barred Owl. 🦉#yyj pic.twitter.com/NOboFVnHqO
— Brandon 🌿 he/him (@Brantastic5) April 15, 2023
Brandon saw the picture of the owls in the basket but he couldn’t believe it existed. He decided to go out and see for himself, so he took a friend and they found the area.
After finding the basket, they took some pictures and shared them on Twitter.
The owls were doing quite well in their makeshift home.
Williamson spoke with the Chek News, saying they went to investigate the area once they had it pinned down. They then went to the spot and were excited to see some turquoise in the tree. That is when they knew they were in the right spot.
A board member with the Rocky Point Bird Observatory, Ann Nightingale, said that great horned owls take over existing nests rather than building their own. Some birders have started making nests from laundry baskets to attract the birds.
Sometimes, they may take over the nest of a crow or another type of bird. If the nest falls apart, birders will sometimes use laundry baskets in an attempt to keep the owls in that location.
A video was also shared by Jerry Goldner of two owlets in a basket. More than likely, the nest basket was used as a replacement when they lost their original nest.
Another video was also shared by Lindsay Wildlife Experience of a baby owl being returned to a basket.
According to Chek News, Nightingale continued, saying that patience is necessary if you want to build an owl nest out of a basket. It may take years before it is used.
She also said that maintaining the nest is an ongoing chore, as it is made of plastic and can deteriorate. If you don’t care for the nest, it could hurt the birds.
