A New Generation of Great Horned Owls is Here!
Bethpage State Park's Black Course is home to two owl babies this year! This time the occupied nest is on #7 of the Black Course, a typical spot for our familiar nesting pair. This comes shortly after re-vamped cones were installed (this winter) to encourage local Great Horned Owls to nest! ~ N ests are high in the tree canopy and usually in White Pine trees. The specific spot chosen on the Black Course is an ideal location for our owls because it serves as an intermediate area between two habitat types: a forest edge and open golf fairway. Being on this border means easy access to hunting grounds while also providing enough tree cover for protection. Peeking in with a cherry picker, staff are able to examine the nest weekly. Two eggs were found (which were laid in early February). As weeks passed, the female owl incubated her eggs while the male kept a look out and brought her food. On March 4th, staff was delighted to find two fluffy white offspring nestled in the center o