Owlets are leaving their nests

Owlets are leaving their nests

A young saw-whet owlet that recently left a nest box but is still being fed by its dad. This column was originally published on April 27, 2024. Working my way through a willow thicket along the Teton River west of Rexburg, I came eye-to-eye with an adult Northern saw-whet owl. I stood still as my eyes scanned the near-by branches, finally locating one of the owlets sitting motionless about 30 feet from the adult. We stared at each other for a mo…