We have seen owls and even found a large owl pellett on our deck. But last night, we had the pleasure of a very loud concert from 10pm to around 11:30pm. Does anyone know why they would be SO vocal?
Man, I live in Eagan and in the last 3 months I have had coyote, bear, deer, eagles, hawks, mallards, owls and many other smaller critters. My small, yet vicious, dog has a great time w/ the rabbits, but I worry that he will become lunch for something.
I live in Ham Lake across from Carlos Avery. The last three nights I have heard the same wonderful concert. I have noticed the squirrel population is not what it use to be.
No explanation for the concert but, I go to bed every night lying there waiting for it to begin.
Were they “hooting” back and forth, or doing that screechy scream thing? I have a couple very large owls that have been in my back-yard all fall. They like to talk back and forth all night. It’s kind of a scratchy soft scream, for lack of a better description, that they repeat over and over. Until you actually see the owl doing it you would never recognize what creature is making the sound….NEAT! I think owls are cool birds, thanks for posting that! 
They are looking for mates about now,thats why your hearing them.Owls lay there eggs earlier than other birds.
Yep they are courting. They nest In Jan and Feb so the little guys can prey upon the other newborns in spring. And they would take a small minature dog. The website I lokked at said thye feed on skunks and racoons so small dogs are in that range.
MWal
You learn more here by accident than elsewhere by design.
I thought that they must be mating, but I couldnt imagine a bird in MN laying eggs in the winter. Go figure.
Wikipedia:
Great Horned Owls are one of the earliest breeding owls of North America. They breed in late January or early February and are often heard calling to each other in the fall. They choose a mate by December and are often heard duetting before this time. They are permanent residents, but may wander after the nesting season. Especially non-breeding birds without an own territory (“floaters”) are quite vagrant.
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