Say hello to the neighbors
This juvenile (image by Dena Steward) is near Broomfield building 5. The fact that he/she is willing to be photographed and seen up close is pretty amazing. The gray fluff is natal down, meaning that this bird is very young. Great Horned Owls lay their eggs earlier in the year than almost any other bird, which is why they have young even though there's still snow on the ground.
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This picture (by Jeff Ferreira) is from a bit later, perhaps a week or so. Notice that the 'ear tufts' are just beginning to come in. Although it's moved to its own branch and begun to fly, this owl is still going to hang around with its parents for a while, probably until the fall.
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This picture, also by Jeff Ferreira, shows the owl perched on a window. Although the juvenile is cute, you should not get close unless there's a window between you and it. Great Horned Owls aren't particularly aggressive, but they won't appreciate people getting too close, and the adults might not like people approaching their kids.
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You can get a pretty good look at this owl's eyes in this picture. Owls cannot move their eyes, so they must rotate their entire heads to look at things. Their vision is superb, particularly at night, and their hearing is also very good. One of an owl's ears is higher up and at a slightly different angle than the other, which allows it to triangulate sound by moving its head.
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As this image suggests, Owls are nocturnal, so it's also a good idea not to disturb them during the day. By all means, watch them, and enjoy having them nearby. But remember that they're wild animals, and we need to let them be wild. We need to be good neighbors.
