Photos: Baby owl on Berkeley trail is growing up fast

The Great Horned Owl chick in its nest in a Eucalyptus tree on Berkeley’s Claremont Canyon trail is maturing rapidly. Photos: prettiephotos

The Great Horned Owl nest on the Claremont Canyon fire trail has been a source of great interest for hikers, birders and, yes, Berkeleyside readers.

We first reported on the nest on March 12 when we received reports of the parent owls diving down on unleashed dogs on the trail. In early April we published photos of a new arrival in the Eucalyptus tree: a fluffy white owl chick, being zealously guarded by its parents.

Now we have the privilege of sharing these wonderful photographs posted onto our Flickr pool by prettiephotos. As is clear, the young owl is developing rapidly, getting bigger by the day and sprouting grown-up feathers. And — squeamish alert — nourishment is being brought in by the ever nurturing parents.

The mother (or father?) owl has been known to swoop down on unleashed dogs to protect its young. Photo: prettiephotos

A parent owl provides take-in lunch at the nest on the Claremont Canyon fire trail. Photo: prettiephotos

The Great Horned Owl chick is sprouting “grown-up” feathers under its white fluffy down. Photo: prettiephotos

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Tracey Taylor