Bird Cams Around the World

Oh my! Our little Tiny is so BIG AND GROWN UP! What a success story. Thanks for sharing beans.

Oh My. this is jsut so heart warming.

No matter what else happens this yer, I will always remember this nest and what our angel Pete did for this site.

When we dare to care, there is no limits to what can be done.

God speed my little angels.

Maybe we will see you at a nest one day.
going to check cam now

thank-you Beans for all you have done to make sure we missed none of the high points

Recorded around 11 PM PDT

This may be Tiny, who has a very heart-shaped face

Is it normal that barn owls return to their nests after fledging? How sweet.

I think the youngsters will return for a while, and then they will be on their way, starting a new life and eventually finding mates of their own.



We've learned so much, watching this nest. Some sadness: dad Barn Owl went missing and was found dead. And Owlet #6 died. Much to celebrate: all five young owls have successfully fledged. Mom has a new suitor. Perhaps there will be a second clutch of eggs and more youngsters this year.

So this is farewell, and not goodbye.

Yes, thanks from me Beans for your wonderful video's and don't know what would have happened without Pete! A million thanks for a great heart and soul. Looking foward......

I like this video and hope you do, too:

Beans, I just watched your video from April and really enjoyed it, especially seeing the littlest owlet being fed. I appreciate very much what Pete did to help these owlets survive and fledge successfully. I think he did a really good thing.

Thank you, Alison.

I had some emails with Pete and supported his decision to help the Barn Owls. We know there is natural attrition among wildlife. People are responsible for destroying a great deal of wildlife territory, taking away both the homes and food sources for wildlife. Feeding wildlife can promote larger populations in a shrinking territory, which can result in a higher death rate for wildlife as they compete for the limited resources. But sometimes I think we need to step in and help them out. Many of us have bird feeders in our yards (it is hoped that those with outdoor cats don't have bird feeders). These feeding stations can help both parents & offspring and migratory birds. Will wildlife habitats disappear?

In California, we are trying to reverse this trend. One of the solutions is restoration of wildlife territories, including wetlands. As for the latter, 95% of them have been destroyed: developed into housing, shopping malls, salt ponds, etc. The Nature Conservancy has played a big role. After all, what's the point of saving a species if he doesn't have a place to live?


I need a place to live - thanks for your help

I am working with our DNR to place a barn owl nest box in the barn where my horse is stabled. Unlike most of the new construction this old barn is a lovely wooden structure. With all the horse grain, we have small rodents aplenty and Bandit's turnout has a pond. I hope it all works out. I will keep you posted! Thank for all the interesting things you share with us beans.

I'd like to hear more about the BNOW nest box. Perhaps you will include pictures? Lindsay Wildlife Museum places BNOW nest boxes in some locations. The box must face an open area without houses or human activity close by. The boxes will have an opening on the back for cleaning after all of the owls have left for the season. Also, some of these will be used for young, orphaned owls. At night, the door will be opened and prey will be placed in the boxes by a gloved hand. The young owls will not see the face of the person putting food into the box, as we want to keep them wild. These would be "soft releases," as the owls would leave when they were ready and eventually not come back to the boxes at the end of the season.

In the past, an adult male BNOW made a visit when he heard the youngsters calling. He eventually took all of the youngsters with him after they fledged. I believe he has done this for more than one season. Wish I had more details. Learned about this last spring.

Gigi, if your project works out, you may want to talk about it in the conservation thread, so everyone can follow the progress. :)

As an aside, there is a large palm tree about three blocks from where I live. It has had a BNOW nest for years. Last year: no one was living there. This year: the BNOW family moved to the large palm behind the house. I have walked by almost every night and was rewarded with the calls of the young owls. I wasn't present for a feeding, but I did see an owl work his way down one of the long fronds and take off, circling the tree and returning. They visit the first tree, too. Either the BNOW family decided to change trees or one of the mates died and the remaining one looked for a new place to nest.

thanks for all your insights. Lindsey always does it right!! I will keep you posted on what happens here beans. We are hoping that if we build it the barn owls will come.

The barn is occupied by the horses and there is some human activity, although not much. The barn's east exposure faces about 20 acres of pasture with another barn about 2 football field lengths away. I have sent John [DNR] pictures of the lay of the land so we will see. He will be up our way on Saturday at our annual falcon watchers picnic so maybe we can swing by and take a look. The habitat is so depleted, that we haven't really even seen barn owls in our area for quite a while. Such a shame.

Our intention is not to hack, but if any of the nearby rehab facilities have barn owls that do not have a territory, we can release them on the property - unless, of course, we have residents. Don't want any territorial fights over the prime real estate. This is just in the initial planning stages so we will see how it all shakes out.

Lucky you to live near a nest.

Based on what I heard in the nest box discussion at Lindsay, the layout and territory sound good. If you don't attract any Barn Owls after the second season the box is in place, you may wish to contact your DNR to discuss hacking. It's all very exciting and I'm looking forward to hearing more! With pictures! Yeah!

6:15 PM PDT