The Barred Owl Eggs Have Hatched

News of the barred owls that are nesting near our house, which I wrote about here earlier this month: Three owlets have hatched and are out of the nest. They haven't fledged yet but they've emerged from their nest hole and are perching in the crotch of the red oak just above the hole.

The squealing noise we've been hearing for weeks -- starting low and rising -- seems to have slackened off, but the young birds make a high-pitched squeal, like a squeeze toy.

If you look closely you can see two of them in this photo.