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

Monday, July 15, 2013

Adventures with Mel and Syd

A much smaller cache was placed inside the preybox last night with just a total of 6.
Four large rats and two small mice.

Once again the owls were right on time with their usual 8:25 -8:30 eta.
First one in we believe was Adi who scored a large bi colored rat.
Hunter was in just a few minutes later who got herself a small little mouse.
All treats were gone and consumed by midnight and the owlets were left to hunt if still hungry or go without.

*Our hope is that the owlets have been supplementing their PB food with prey they have been catching out in the wild, and that they will soon hunt on their own and be weaned off the Prey Box. 

 *Corn was also put out near the PB tonight, in hopes of attracting some wildlife to this spot. A young opossum crawled into the Prey Box at 1:35 am (close to the exact same time as the night before), as Adi watched from the Playground above. Perhaps the same one that visited yesterday, he stayed in the box for less than a minute, and then left.