Great Horned Owl mother of 2

My first blogging post begins with my favorite, yet elusive subject. I look for owls wherever I go, but spotting them is rare. I have yet to find one that wasn't during nesting season. They are very shy and get disturbed easily. They will flush from a forest without you ever knowing they were near. Their wings have specialized feathers that cause them to fly off without a sound, so their stealth is great. This Great Horned Owl mother hatched 2 owlets in an unusual urban site for 3 years running. She uses the same nest found at the Kane County Courthouse in Geneva Il. The tree is accessible and the nest is about 25 feet up, so the photo op is prime. I spent a total of 4 days up there, waiting for the "perfect shot"!