Sharing Time With Owls - 27 East

Residence

Residence / 1959392

Sharing Time With Owls

icon 3 Photos
A juvenile great horned owl in Southampton Village.

A juvenile great horned owl in Southampton Village. GREG MONSKE

A juvenile great horned owl in Southampton Village.

A juvenile great horned owl in Southampton Village. GREG MONSKE

Owl pellets.

Owl pellets. GREG MONSKE

Greg Monske on May 20, 2022

We had been working this particular garden in Southampton Village for more than 10 years when the discovery was made. It was the first week of April, and there on the bluestone path through the gardens, an owl “pellet” — the regurgitated fur and bones of an owl’s recent meal.

We found two more pellets the next day. It wasn’t until the second week, early in the morning, that we heard the distinct “who, who-who” and knew it was a horned owl.

“It came from over there,” my daughter said.

“No, it sounded to me like from that other tree.”

We both heard it, and again the following day.

The adult horned owl revealed itself a day later. The gardens were extensive and the owl remained perched in several trees throughout the week. None of the trees had leafed out yet. The owl was easy to spot. It never made another sound but was there each morning and remained with us all day. It was not intimidated by the presence of our crew or the six men that showed up to do work nearby.

By this time we had found 10 pellets and progressed to a different section of the garden, but still near the owl. In this new section of the garden there is a scraggly old tree with lots of character and several large diagonally growing trunks. As I approached the tree I noticed white bird droppings under one of the trunks. I looked up to see, 20 feet away, a very fuzzy, very large owl with very large claws, staring down at me. I looked to my left and a little bit higher, there in another tree, was the mother, also staring at me.

It all made sense. The pellets everywhere, the mother just hanging around for a couple of weeks. The juvenile couldn’t fly, of course, so the mother was catching the food and bringing it to the baby. On the ground, under the tree, were three more pellets. Two of these were so wet that small gravel stuck to them. We had read that owls regurgitate six to 10 hours after eating. They can’t leave the nest until they are six to seven weeks old and can’t fly until nine to 10 weeks old. We weren’t sure how old this juvenile was but we knew it couldn’t fly. We figured it climbed the tree and the hooting we had heard two weeks earlier was the baby calling its mother.

We had to do more research. Wild owls have an average life span of 13 years. They may remain in the nesting area, if food is available, for up to eight years. They don’t build their own nests but rely on the nests of other birds such as crows, hawks and herons. Squirrel nests may also be used. Their only natural enemy is other horned owls.

The last sighting of both owls was at the end of April. I watched the mother fly from a tree to perch on the garage roof. My daughter, working near the same tree the juvenile was in, heard a clicking sound and turned around to see the juvenile run from behind the tree to the bushes. She recorded a 10-second video of it. If you didn’t look closely you’d think it was a chicken. We have not seen them since then but will always remember those few weeks we shared.

You May Also Like:

Plant Pathogens

We started the gardening season with wet conditions. For plant diseases, “wet” and “humid” are ... 8 Jul 2025 by Andrew Messinger

A Miner Mystery

It was late April when they started to appear. In several areas around the Southampton ... by Lisa Daffy

‘Darlene Liebman Opens the Doors to Her Family’s Nostalgic Seaside East Hampton Residence.’

Tristan Dyer: Talk to me about the history of your East Hampton home and what ... by Tristan Dyer

Landcraft Garden Foundation Opens Gates for a Special Visit on July 12

On Saturday, July 12, the Landcraft Garden Foundation in Mattituck invites the public to explore ... by Staff Writer

The July Ramble

Once upon a time long, long ago I took a graduate course at Southampton College ... 7 Jul 2025 by Andrew Messinger

Hampton Designer Showhouse Kicks Off July 19

The Hampton Designer Showhouse will return to Southampton this summer to benefit Stony Brook Southampton ... 1 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Holiday House Hamptons Opens With White Party on July 12

Holiday House Hamptons will return to the South Fork on Saturday, July 12, for its ... by Staff Writer

East Hampton Art & Design Days Runs July 11-13

The inaugural East Hampton Art & Design Days, running July 11 to 13, will present a lecture series at Guild Hall on Sunday, July 13, featuring interior designers and landscape designers in conversation. The day will begin with a book-signing hour, followed at noon by Aerin Lauder in conversation with David Netto about her new book, “Living With Flowers,” which explores the role of florals in “interior design, inspired living, and timeless style.” “Designing Iconic Interiors and Architecture” begins at 1:15 p.m., with panelists Brian Sawyer, David Kleinberg and Victoria Hagan moderated by Jacqueline Terrebonne of Galerie. The designers will ... by Staff Writer

Marders Hosting Garden Talks Series Covering Range of Garden-Related Topics

Marders, a nursery and garden center in Bridgehampton, is hosting the Garden Talks series, covering a variety of topics relating to garden maintenance and caring for plants. These talks take place on Sunday mornings at Marders at 120 Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and are free to attend. Paige Patterson, a plant ambassador at Marders, has been running talks for over 10 years. The talks grew out of Patterson receiving questions relating to misconceptions about plants, as well as other aspects of gardening that she was unaware of when she first started. “I never ... by Dan Stark

East Hampton Historical Society To Host 19th Annual Antiques & Design Show Benefit

The East Hampton Historical Society is hosting its 19th annual Antiques & Design Show Benefit ... 30 Jun 2025 by Dan Stark