Site 1
This will probably be the last time I see these guys this year, they are starting to move away. But finally got a photo with all six fledglings in it, (and mom is just visible all the way to the left.)
Month: April 2010
One More Egg
Sometime on or just after April 7, a 5th Egg was laid. Meanwhile, hatching is roughly a week away here.
Last 2 Left
Last night the 2 remaining owlets left. The Box is now empty.
4 Fledged
Sometime last night four owlets left their home, now hanging out in a Yew right near the Box. They are hidden well. (only 3 owlets in the photo, the 4th was above them). 2 are left in the Box.
Getting Close
To fledgling time. Over the next couple days to a week the little owlets should be leaving the Box. They are getting quite adept at getting up to the entrance.
Starling eviction
Site 2
Well I was hoping the larger ‘slot’ opening would be less desirable to starlings, but alas starlings like it just fine. Took out a 3/4 nest that the starling built.
New Owl Siting
This site was established February 15 2010, first owl in a Box April 16. There is a 3″ circle hole box with in 20 feet, hopefully a second owl will be joining soon.
Its not too late for nesting to be a possibility. Exciting news!
here’s the report
“WE HAVE AN OWL!!!!!!!!!! Exactly two months after the boxes were set up.
I saw a suspicious gray ’shadow’ in the box yesterday afternoon, but it disappeared before I could really focus on it. No time to get binocs and I thought it was a squirrel anyway. When I got up this cloudy morning, the “shadow” was there again! This time I could get the binocs and confirm it is a grey-morph owl. I took some photos. A closer look at the best pic makes me think that it is more ‘chocolate’ coloration than gray. I’ve noticed this tint on an gray-morph owl last seen in our yard about 7-8 years ago. I doubt it’s the same bird, it just has similar coloration.”
Day Hunting
I was leaving and noticed the male in an odd position, roosting a bit more out in the open(very close to the yew roost). I stopped my truck, and took a picture. It was later that it became apparent that it was not an odd roosting position, but it was scoping out a pair of robins below it. A split second after I took the picture, it swooped down and tried (unsuccessfully) to nab one of the robins. It made a second attempt at the robin flying from the ground and chasing it through the Yew. All this happened at roughly 4 pm. Just happened to be at the right place right time to see all this occur. Who knows whether this was out of necessity or merely an opportunity since there are six little ones to feed?
Certainly Six
Now that the owlets are bigger, they are easier to count. Definitely all six eggs hatched and all are growing. In fact they are quite active with some flapping of their wings, hopping around. Its getting very crowded in there so mom like to hop up and get above the fray.
New Nest
Site 3
With the squirrel in the martin pole box,
the owl moved to the SQR box, works out nice, since this is the only other box with a cam. 4 eggs were laid sometime between March 30th and today (April 7). So the male is around just elusive, most likely a red phased as well, making it tough to tell them apart.
Owl Oasis Trail 