Bird Cams Around the World

Sydney has been creating a ruckus, tearing up the box yesterday and this am. I forgot how she can scratch the walls, floor, and almost climb the walls with her talons. Quite a bit of noise, all pre egg laying behavior I suppose. Here are a couple pics of her antics. She kind of mantles and uses her wings to brace herself so she can scrape her talons fast.

Shouldn't there be some gravel, or grass or something in there??

Hi PattiO. In the barn owl nest boxes, they are usually cleaned after each clutch. The gag shag or berm is swept out by human owners or by the female owl herself when she is ready to move in for the season. She takes her feet and just keeps kicking up a storm till it finds its way out the entrance hole. Most of the ustream barn owl boxes are cleaned by the human owners though. Once the female decides to start spending all day in the box, her horked pellets will start filling the floor and she will shred them up to make a nice soft blanket for her owlets. The eggs are laid on the bare floor though. By the time the eggs are hatching, she has a million hork pellets shredded up as a soft place for the owlets.

If you look at the pro-riet swiss owls right now, there is a deep rug in the box. Usually once the season approaches, someone cleans out the box. Its best to keep bug numbers down. At Starr Ranch, the owlets themselves will clean out the berm once they are tall enough to be climbing and dropping down from the upstairs area. They will start using their feet and wings, and work up a real dust storm inside the cavity. Once they are gone, Mrs O herself will do the same and sweep out the cavity, leaving just a small amount or layer there.

Dale and Roy are both in the box today. Her last egg was laid 1/25 so I think that may be the whole clutch. Let's hope so anyway, more than 5 days makes it hard for the last one. Here is a pic of them both in the box.

Leelee, I was just reading Suday's post. I love the whole description and your incredible knowledge. I'm especially liking horked pellets

LeeLee is the BARN OWL QUEEN

THANK YOU kittenface and obxbarb! I am quite smitten with barn owls and watch all the nests I can during the year. My first owl love was actually the barred owl, but there are not many of those cams around. Unlike barn owls, barred owl mothers WILL intervene with sibling problems. I have seen one mom actually SIT on one owlet to keep it away while she fed the other one! The mothers are always a step ahead of the owlets. Barn owls were given BEAUTY more so, and just dont interfere. They are also clowns, and I just love all their antics! So much is being learned by watching closely on the cams, it is proving wrong much of the so called "facts" about owls! Owls LOVE baths once they have had one, and will then go to a stream, or birdbaths in the evening, or lawn sprinklers that are on in the early evening also. Who knew? Google "owls taking baths" on youtube and you will find a lot of videos, disproving the books and biologists of old time! Barn owls just have to be very careful they can dry out, because their feathers are like cotton ball soft, and really get water logged and soggy, making flying sometimes impossible until they dry out.

YIPPEE!!! Here is a picture of Sydney with her first egg of 2012!! They are calling yesterday Super Egg Sunday LOL since she laid it yesterday.



Mel got a quick peek at his future offspring. It sounded like he actually asked her for a peek, chittering into her ear, and then she stood up and let him see LOL They are sooooo sweet together!! Lots of kissy face from Mel afterwards!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/owlceanside

SYDNEY now has 3 eggs! Let's see how many it will be this year



The UFO (unidentified female owl) came around again last night, right near the entrance hole. SYD did not waste any time charging at the door to chase her away.

She must have heard you kittenface, and decided to lay another egg LOL!

DALE's FIRST EGG HAS HATCHED at 03:38am PST!!!!!!

Will post a pic when she decides to let us see "Ellie" - Roy has not seen her yet either LOL





Link to Video of Ellie's first meal, also page for 2 cam view:
http://www.owlchannel.com/live.html