A Powerful Owlet in a Brisbane park. When it's warm they'll sit high and you get a better look at those impressive talons. These juveniles practice hunting skills by 'attacking' leaves, bark and unwieldy looking sticks they've snapped off mid-flight. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

We checked in on the Powlets who may be without an adult after a nearby adult was taken into care, due to poisoning. They've moved to their non-breeding roost, and although we didn't see an adult, they are being fed, and they have been moved, so at least one adult is around #birds #wildoz #brisbane

One of the young Powerful Owl siblings in a Brisbane Conservation park. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Young Powerful Owl siblings tracking crows. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

A pair of Powerful Owlets looking fierce. We've been checking in on this pair after an adult was taken into care not far from their roost www.actforbirds.org/ratpoison. So far we've only seen one adult around, luckily that's not unusual. Both Powlets look well, and fed. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Male Powerful Owl with possum. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

This pair of Powerful Owls took some serious detecting work to find. They had been seen in some unlikely roost spots so it was a good day to finally track them down. Even better to see them both, one, the male this time, had breakfast. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

A watchful Bush Stone-curlew at Mt Coot-tha yesterday. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

A little leftover something after brining up a pellet. It's hard to know what it is, POwlets often practice hunting while waiting for breakfast. I watched this one fly in, grab a piece of bark with its talons, land overhead and start ripping strips off it. I imagine they accidently eat some. #birds

Bringing up a pellet is hard work for a Powerful Owlet. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Following reports of an injured adult nearby I went out to check on this family. I could only find the Owlets, and they looked well. At this time of year the adults don't call much and can be harder to find. Time to look again. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Male Powerful Owl in a Brisbane park. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Congratulations to the Tawny Frogmouth on being crowned bird of the year 2025. This one, named Ralph by my daughter and friends, looks suitably pleased with the accolade. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Not much bothers this female Powerful Owl, she often roosts over busy paths in a Brisbane park. Yesterday an incoming international flight caught her eye, and she tracked it as it flew across the sky. #birds Time to vote for POwls again :)🦉 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

A Powerful Owl pair roosting in a Brisbane park earlier today. Sometimes it's tricky to work out who's who, but when they're so close together it gets easier, female on the left. Don't forget to vote POwls for bird of the year today. #birds #wildoz #brisbane www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Day 3 of voting @australia.theguardian.com Tawny's can be cute, for a not-an-owl, but POwlets have that cuteness factor in multiples! www.theguardian.com/environment/...

A female Powerful Owl with her powerful talons and fierce stare. They made it through day 1, time to vote again for the Powerful Owl in @australia.theguardian.com Australian bird of the year 2025. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Voting is open for Australian bird of the year! Time to vote #1 for Powerful Owls! @australia.theguardian.com. All POwls are special but here's a particular favourite, Trillian from a few years ago. www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/06/australian-bird-of-the-year-deeper-purpose

An Australian King Parrot feeding low. I moved here over 20 years ago and to see such exotic birds hanging out in the local park is still as captivating as the first time. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Some Powerful Owlets stay close to their nest tree, some move to the non-nesting roost sites nearby, and some seem to go much further. This photo was taken when the owlet was newly fledged, & was a new family for us. We've been back to check in on them. So far, without luck #birds #wildoz #brisbane

It doesn't take long before the Powerful Owlet loses interest and goes back to sleep. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

The Powerful Owlets are inquisitive about every sound. This one was watching the Noisy Miners fly past at dusk. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

The Powerful Owlet at dusk, awake #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Powerful Owlets have a very cute head tilt as they drift off to sleep. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Kookaburra hunting. Mt Coot-tha, Brisbane #birds #wildoz

A young Powerful Owl being mobbed by a Magpie-lark. Magpie-larks, like other medium sized birds, do not like roosting Powerful Owls in their territory. The Powlet tried to ignore it, but Magpie-larks are not quiet, and they are not shy. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Powerful Owlet photobombed by a Magpie-lark. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

A Powerful Owl family yesterday in a Brisbane conservation park. We didn't think this pair had bred this year so it was nice to see them with a chick. We often see females holding prey, this one has a possum. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

These Powerful Owls like to roost together, even though they're out of mating season and don't have any Owlets. When it heats up they like to roost low. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

2 Powerful Owlets high in the treetops in a Brisbane park. Despite roosting more openly than the adults, the height can make it surprisingly difficult to spot them. Perhaps being so high protects them from smaller mobbing birds who tend to fly much lower? #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Powerful Olwet at dusk. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

As the weather warms up I've been hearing the distinctive descending calls of the the Fan-tailed Cuckoo's more recently. Often heard or glimpsed, it was nice to see one perched so openly.

Sometimes it's their eyes that give them away. Powerful Owlet roosting in a Brisbane park earlier this week. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

A young Powerful Owl in a Brisbane park watching the joggers go by. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

I like owls, not only because you don't need to get up too early to see them. Today we were up before dawn to check on some newly fledged Powls and decided to look in on some others we follow nearby. It was a good morning, 10 owls before 10! Including a couple of Boobooks #birds #wildoz #brisbane

Powerful Owlets fledge able to fly, but are not always good at landings. If they do have a tumble, they climb fallen branches to gain height before having another go. This Owlet was sizing up its options before becoming unstuck. Thankfully, it was back roosting high by morning. #birds #wildoz

One of the Powerful Owlet's just after sunrise earlier today. #birds #wildoz #brisbane #owls

Rescued Owlet having made its way to a tree top a couple of meters from its sibling yesterday. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

@doktrnick.bsky.social and I checked in on the rescued Owlet yesterday. It was the best it could have been! The Owlet had made its way up to the top of a tree roosting 15m high, right next to its sibling. An adult, I think female was in the next tree with possum dinner in her talons. #birds #wildoz

I don't think anyone thought this not-so little Powlet would survive. 10 days later it's home! I imagine it saying 'Thank you' in the last picture, or 'Who on earth are you?'. I can't decide.

More photos from @doktrnick.bsky.social of the rescued Owlet being released.

2 new chicks! (not these ones). We hadn't seen the adults in their usual spot so decided to widen the search. It didn't look too promising until the first patch of unconvincing scat, then some feathers, followed by definite scat, and pellets. Just after dusk came trilling, and 2 new POwlets! #birds

Boobook in a Brisbane park yesterday. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

It always surprises how closely different owl species roost. We didn't find the Powerful Owls yesterday, but there was plenty of their scat, pellets and a feather within 100m both up and downstream from this Bookook. Boobooks always look so tough, maybe it chased them off. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

We've had a great couple of weeks finding new pairs of Powerful Owls in and around Brisbane, adding new data to The Powerful Owl Project birdlife.org.au/projects/pow.... This new-to-us Powl, possibly female didn't look too bothered that we'd found her. #birds #wildoz #brisbane

It was a nice surprise when this Osprey flew, with its still flapping fish breakfast right over our heads as we sat on the rocks watching the whales go by. #birds #straddie

As the days warm up more Water Dragons see, to be out and about. They don't hibernate but enter a state known as brumation, where they come out when the sun's shining. Given the colour of some of these lizards I suspect they bury themselves in mud to keep warm. #reptiles #wildoz #brisbane

Powerful Owls are listed vulnerable & aren't doing so well due to habitat loss & other factors. Birdlife Oz @birdlifeoz.bsky.social are running a campaign to help them (using 📷 by @lucyparkerpaul.bsky.social & myself 🙂). If you'd like to support POwls, click the link birdlife.org.au/campaign/don...

A young Powerful Owl in a Brisbane park at dusk. The best way to end a work day! #birds #wildoz #brisbane

We've noticed the Powerful Owlets have been a little later emerging this year. They are easier to find when the sun goes down and they start their distinctive trilling, so it was nice, and unexpected to see this beauty out of the hollow at sunset in a Brisbane park. #birds #wildoz #brisbane