Yikes-Nest Tree Hollow Damaged In Storm!

Friday, June 5, 2009

I was out of town for a few days during the middle of this week when a brief but intense thunderstorm rolled through the area on Tuesday. The following night I received a phone call from Edward Crim and he told me that the nest tree hollow was damaged in the storm! He said that the top portion of the branch containing the hollow (and many smaller sub-branches) had fallen into the waterway below! I was saddened to get this news but grateful for the heads up from Edward. Even though I was in the middle of a nice jaunt to Lake of the Ozarks where I saw some cool wildlife (Red-headed Woodpecker, many Turkey Vultures, two Eastern Chimpmunks and a Map Turtle-uncertain of the exact species), the news of the damaged hollow kept coming back to my mind. This hollow was the site of this year's nest and the nest in 2006. It is one of the key sites of the owls lives and history. One of the few items of consolation was that this damage did not occur when Sarah was on eggs or owlets were in residence.

After a longer than expected drive home, I needed some down time. Once I had dined and rested, I grabbed my gear and headed for the park. Even though I was prepared for it, the absence of so much of the hollow was startling. Here are a few shots:

I will be sure to write more but I wanted to get this information out there. Thanks for reading!