From the Best of Facebook album.
A fledgling baby Barred Owl (Strix varia) tries to find its way in the world.
The photographer writes: "What goes up, most of the time comes down, and that's exactly what happened to this Barred owlet. This fledgling lost its footing from a higher vantage point, and after dropping from the original perch, managed to extend a leg while descending and cling to a thin and non-compliant branch. After going from upright to completely upside down, the cycle of flapping in attempts to become upright again, and then resting while hanging upside down, continued through several cycles. After giving a rather discontented look, the owlet drooped its wings, looked down at the forest floor and dropped. The descent was roughly 15-20 feet, and the dismount was effectively cushioned by wing beats and leaf litter. Upon landing, the owlet cautiously set off in the direction of its mother and siblings where it eventually made its way up another tree." Photo by Nathan Goshgarian.
The photographer writes: "What goes up, most of the time comes down, and that's exactly what happened to this Barred owlet. This fledgling lost its footing from a higher vantage point, and after dropping from the original perch, managed to extend a leg while descending and cling to a thin and non-compliant branch. After going from upright to completely upside down, the cycle of flapping in attempts to become upright again, and then resting while hanging upside down, continued through several cycles. After giving a rather discontented look, the owlet drooped its wings, looked down at the forest floor and dropped. The descent was roughly 15-20 feet, and the dismount was effectively cushioned by wing beats and leaf litter. Upon landing, the owlet cautiously set off in the direction of its mother and siblings where it eventually made its way up another tree." Photo by Nathan Goshgarian.
