As we transition from spring to summer here in Texas, baby animals that were born in the past few months are starting to become more independent. This is what’s happening at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center as their owl, Athena, gets her babies ready for life outside of the nest. 

Athena is a great horned owl that has made her home at the wildflower center for more than a decade, laying and hatching eggs in March and April. By May, those owlets are preparing to spread their wings on their own, and that’s what her two babies this year are getting ready to do: fly the nest for the first time.  

The wildflower center has a live streaming camera pointed at Athena’s nest, which is nestled in a sotol planter above the center’s courtyard entrance, to allow anyone to watch her raise her young each year. You can check on Athena and her family at any time on YouTube.

This year, Athena arrived at her nest and laid her first egg on March 1, and the second egg popped out on March 5. The first owlet hatched on April 4, and its sibling hatched two days later. The babies typically spend six to seven weeks in the nest before flying for the first time, according to an Instagram post by the wildflower center. Thursday, May 16, will mark six full weeks since the first owlet hatched, meaning that timeline is drawing nearer for the babies to test out adventuring on their own under the watchful eye of their parents, of course. 

Last year, the babies hatched and fledged (meaning they started flying) on a similar schedule to this year, with their first flight occurring on May 25, 2023. Bill J. Boyd, the wildflower center’s Owl Docent, told MySA that the center expects this year’s owlets to start flying around that date, give or take a few days.

The wildflower center said in the post that once the babies leave the nest, they’ll be practicing flying and hunting with their parents stationed nearby. 

“By July or August, these fledglings will be ready to soar into the world on their own, thanks to the guidance of Athena and her teachings,” the post reads. 

“This training takes place as late as mid-June and usually happens in nearby trees on our property,” Boyd said. “We’re always curious to see if they fledge on their own, or if Athena offers any encouragement for them.” 

Athena and her family have quite a few fans, and they’re excited to watch the babies’ progress as they gear up to leave the nest. 

“Thank you for the ability to watch the growth & changes- it’s been awesome,” Instagram user @mrs.rmjackson replied to the center’s post. 

“I have been obsessively watching the Live Cam!” user @culturedforest replied to the post. 

MySA reached out to the wildflower center for comment.