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, June 26, 2013

Adventures with Mel and Syd

Congratulations Adi, you're an adult owl today at the ripe ole age of 80 days. It will be Hunters turn on Friday to turn to adult age.

The preybox has been moved down two more feet where it now sits at about 6 ft from the ground.

Hunter passed the test of making the swoop down to the lowered box and grabbing a snack, she flew up to the roof of the owlbox and snacked some, then flying off to the tree with her dinner.

It's now become more difficult to ID the owlets outside. After close to 2 weeks of them being owls in the wild outdoors, changes to their appearance are sure to have happened. The fluff of their down feathers is gone and a more mature look to their face has no doubt emerged. Lighting of the cameras can play tricks on those trying to ID the owl and is evident while comparing pictures at the preybox, an example to this is not just the coloring of the owl but the lightness or darkness of the trees and leaves as well as the coloring to the preybox.

On a visit to the preybox, this owl sat comfortably on the edge after taking prey from the box and gulped it down on the edge.
So who is this owl??

We did not notice any rufus coloring around the collar like Adi has and this owl did not show the dark rufus coloring all over like Hunter. We did see that the owl was almost pure white on its chest and a familiar face to some of our seasoned owl watchers. Is this, could this be our Mel?? Many thought so but it will be up to you to judge for yourself.


 Thanks to Robin Steele of the SPO forum for her video capture

The owl flew to the box where it seemed to want to go inside. At one point even  putting its talon up to the covering as if to try and move the covering out of the way to get inside.

Soon the owlets will move on to their own territories, the box will be cleaned out and the cover over the opening will be removed.

NOTE: Examples of lighting and coloring differences of the prey box, trees and leaves on trees