SNN (ScrollingNetworkNews) ✿ ✿ Our Mel and Sydney returned to their nesting box with plenty of bonding occurring..but after 2.5 months of Sydney in the box from Dec 2013 to mid Feb 2014, the lack of prey gifts from Mel ( perhaps due to the severe and historic drought underway in California)and they have forgone the nesting process this year as many other raptors ✿ Compared to other owls of similar size, the Barn Owl has a much higher metabolic rate, requiring relatively more food. Pound for pound, Barn Owls consume more rodents – often regarded as pests by humans – than possibly any other creature. ✿ We remind viewers that sometimes owlets may not survive - the parents will dispose of things in "The Owl Way" -viewer discretion is advised, this is nature and the "Owl way". ✿ ~ ✿ “Animals, like us, are living souls. They are not things. They are not objects. Neither are they human. Yet they mourn. They love. They dance. They suffer. They know the peaks and chasms of being.” ― Gary Kowalski, The Souls of Animals ✿ Each species is a masterpiece, a creation assembled with extreme care and genius." ~ E.O. Wilson

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Adventures with Mel and Syd

Starting a little after sunset 5:19pm-ish, many screeches & deets heard.
A sneaky owl flew by 2:34am eluding the paparowlzzi. Screeches heard closer & closer 3:01am. An Owl did a touch & go roof-stack landing 3:58, circled around, landed on left most corner of PG, stayed looking around till 2nd owl landed on PG 4:32am.
(was this a treat handoff or just a simple form of billing midair)

They both gently fell to the ground. Flybys spotted after that 4:35, 5:07 & 5:28am followed by a possible landing out of camera view in the branches shown on BEV cam.
 Join us tonight for “Spot the Owl” & win yourself a “Golden Hork Ticket”.



Flybys

NOTE : During courting, males may circle near the nest tree, giving short screeches and chattering calls. Courtship begins with display flights by males which are accompanied by advertising calls and chasing the female. 
Male Barn Owls also exhibit a special courtship behavior known as “moth flight.”

 During this ritual, the male hovers in front of a perched female to display the distinctive white areas on its chest and belly.
This is when males are most vocal..