Two months ago I spotted a family of Powerful Owls in Manly Dam National Park, near Sydney. Last week I spotted two of them again in the same area of bush. Given their fluffiness, I think these are the two juveniles of the family.

This is what the scene looked like without my camera’s powerful 60x zoom. If you look carefully, you can just make out the two owl-shaped dots in the centre of the picture:

Below is a closer view. It seems to be usual for one bird to be awake and vigilant while the other sleeps:

In this video, the awake owl blinks a slow, wise blink and wiggles its head from side to side in that endearing yet terrifying manner they have. A little later, the call of a passing Currawong attracts the owl’s attention:

Common name: Powerful Owl

Scientific name: Ninox strenua

Approximate length: 65 cm

Date spotted: 25 November 2018 (Spring)

Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia