Adventures With Mel & Syd: Adventures with Mel and Syd

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

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Adventures with Mel and Syd

Once it got dark at the kastle, Sydney was itching to make her exit. She left at 8:11pm flying off into the dark.

Both Adelaide and Hunter wait for the first nights treat to arrive.

They didn't wait long.. 8:30pm with either Mel or Syd delivering the small gopher.

Its now a new challenge for the moderators who collect our data on the deliveries. The parents deliver so fast with in & out of the box that its just about impossible to know which owl it was. Also the owlets grab the treat quickly and gulp it, that its difficult to see if it was a mouse or gopher.

Adi got the treat but that didn't stop Hunter from trying to snag it.

Mel & Sydney hunted down 6 treats which Adelaide & Hunter enjoyed. Two of the treats were blocked from view but needless to say the kidz were well fed. As boom cam came back up 6:00am we noticed an owl flying away. Was that Syd checking on the kidz?

Was it Mel delivering one final treat?

We can only guess but we do know that The Great Sydini magically appeared in the box 6:04am. The kidz were so happy to see her. They squawked up a storm telling her about their night.

Sydney has now stayed out of the box for the full night and will soon be staying out for the days. Will tomorrow be the first day the owlets are left alone? Stay tuned...