Rfalconcam Forum

yep!
he's had prospective tenants coming through!!

Good to hear!

This is great news!  Thanks for letting us know Dale!

I lost my link and can't find it for news.............thanx!  :wave:

http://chriswjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/Nest%20Box%20Cam (http://chriswjohnson.blogspot.com/search/label/Nest%20Box%20Cam)

the top one (as of now) is a great little feeding video from last season. if you scroll down a couple of posts there are new little videos of the prospective tenants scoping the place out in the last few days.

warning...cute...I mean, REALLY PAINFULLY CUTE
http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2012/20120423/movies/cam01_motion_side_042312_030757_740_0335.mp4 (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2012/20120423/movies/cam01_motion_side_042312_030757_740_0335.mp4)
(this is video from last season)

Very cute video! I remember this nest from years ago, and then it was inactive for a while. I hope there will be owlets again.

Last year was a good one - I'd assume these would be the same owls - they did well here.

I think the year it was off line was due to Chris being ill & unable to tend to the nest box and cameras. I can't recall if there were owlets that year or not.

At any rate-this year's owlet family portrait! http://chriswjohnson.blogspot.com/ (http://chriswjohnson.blogspot.com/)

"I gather some loyal followers have been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the official 2012 Owlet Family Portrait. Well, happy Christmas, and merry holidays; wait no more.



From left to right, that’s owlet 4, 2, 1 and 3. Owlet no. 1 tested its wings on a number of occasions by flying away from the photo shoot, forcing me to drop whatever I was doing to go retrieve the scamp before he/she could go anywhere unreachable (under the nearby brush pile that was the preferred target, for instance). After seeing that no harm came from flying away or being retrieved, owlet no. 2 soon started doing the same thing.

Feeling obligated to return to the nest the same number of owlets I’d borrowed, lest the adult owls decide I’m completely evil (as opposed to my normal status as a mere pest), those test flights, while very sensible on the owlets’ parts (what better time to test those wings properly?), were a bit stressful for me. Mme. Owl, who observed this whole process from a nearby tree, calling to the owlets from time to time, seemed to prefer that they be kept together as well. (Was her message “put up with the annoying monkey; it does this kind of thing, but you’re safe … or the monkey gets my talons in its head”? That was the translation I settled on at the time.)

Anyway, everyone was returned to the nest safely, and Mme. Owl did not swear a vendetta against me, so, as usual, it all worked-out. However, owlet no. 1 must have liked what it saw of the outside world (all of the owlets did) along with the feel of air on its open wings (“a prince of the power of the air”, if my Emerson is coming back correctly), because it decided to leave the nest that very night, shortly after sunset, as is traditional. Owlet no. 2 waited an additional three days before leaving. Was that unusual enthusiasm in owlet no. 1, or was it because he/she was laid three days before owlet no. 2, even though they ultimately hatched within hours of each other? I have no idea.

Study all you want, but never forget that the closer you look, the more mysteries nature offers you. I can’t imagine a better deal than that."

so cool

 :clap:

What a great blog! I love it, and the beautiful photo of the owlets. Thank you for posting this, Dumpsterkitty!

5 weeks ahead of schedule, the first egg of 2013 was laid yesterday!

http://chriswjohnson.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&max-results=7 (http://chriswjohnson.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&max-results=7)


http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/ (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/)

 :clap:  I saw it!!!

Looks like Phil was right about early spring.   :cool-045:

Chris has the nestbox page for the year up and running, with updates, etc.

There's still just the one egg -
I remember seeing that Kris posted about it, with links, but now I don't see the post...
(in case anyone needs the link:  http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/ (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/))

Is she pushing now? Can one of the MODS combine these two threads?? Thanks

2 eggs as of Friday...

February 15 – Mme. Owl returned to the nest at 6:46 AM CST. Prior to that time, her mate made several unsuccessful attempts to deliver caterpillars to her in the nest box.

She spent part of the noon hour on the perch again, but only for four minutes. At all other times, she was on top of the egg, but not in a brooding posture.

By 6:25 PM she seemed interested in leaving the nest for the night. She exited at 6:39 PM and returned at 6:43 PM. There was a good reason: Egg no. 2 was laid sometime between 6:44 PM and 7:19 PM CST, I’ve never seen a screech owl laying an egg, so I have no idea what the process might look or sound like to an independent observer, or even how long it might take. Nonetheless, after reviewing the video captured during that time period that, I’m confident that some vital part of the laying process occurred at 7:13:59 PM CST. The video segments captured during that time are linked to below. See what you think.

  [go to his main page for the links]

Video recording is triggered by significant motion, therefore the gaps between these consecutive recordings represent periods during which Mme. Owl moved little.

She stayed with the eggs until 8:27 PM, left for seven minutes, stayed with the eggs again until 8:55 PM, and then she left the nest for the evening.

thanks, ei!! for some reason i was there this morning and missed this entirely!!
definitely two eggs!!!!

Three owl eggs. Chris writes:

February 18 – Egg no. 3 was laid today somewhere between 6:14 and 8:12 AM CST. Mme. Owl has not begun brooding in earnest, yet, so she was absent enough on the night of the 18th/19th for me take down the nest box, photograph, weigh, and measure the eggs. Food continues to be a problem, because Mr. Owl appears to deliver nothing but caterpillars, and Mme. Owl spends long periods of time calling for more food with little effect. Far larger, and more nutritious, prey is available; Mr. Owl has to stop going for the quick and easy junk food, and start bringing big prey with bones; Mme. Owl likely needs the calcium. That may be one reason why she hasn’t been consistently brooding at night even after the arrival of the third egg: she needs to go hunt for herself.

Chris thinks that the male may be a very young (10-month-old) bird, and not an experienced hunter.

four eggs.

http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130220/frames/20130220-235318-CST.jpg (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130220/frames/20130220-235318-CST.jpg)

 :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

from Chris:

Four eggs and holding. Welcome to the dull phase of nesting, folks. If Mme. Owl were going to lay one of the rare five or six egg clutches, an additional egg should have appeared by now, so I think we can safely conclude that we have a typical four egg clutch. From now until somewhere around March 18th, it'll be all brooding, all the time. Vital work, of course, but it doesn't make for the most riveting viewing.

...Mr. Owl continues to specialize in caterpillars, with the occasional june bug and roach thrown in for good measure. Insects are easy, but a balanced diet requires vertebrates. So, that remains a concern. I can only hope that a month of listening to his mate beg for food will make Mr. Owl try (and try again) at capturing mice, and small birds. (Cedar waxwings are almost exclusively the only bird my generations of screech owls have hunted; presumably the large flocks in which cedar waxwings exist draw attention to themselves, and rules-out perfect cover for every member of the flock, unlike, for instance, a few isolated chickadees that can easily find deep cover, and draw little or no attention to themselves.)

not much going on. sitting. taking a constitutional. sitting.

The University of Texas Austin has shut down Chris' Owl Cam - nothing to do with sequestration ;)
The cams are running, Mme. Owl's on 4 eggs, but it's not going onto the web, we can't see it.
If you are so inclined, PLEASE write a short email to the President of the University of Austin, Texas, describing why you love this unique and beautiful, well-run cam, how valuable it is to classes, individuals studying wildlife / raptors, artists, etc., and how it is an asset to the University of Texas Austin.

the address:  president@po.utexas.edu

I'd suggest  "Dear Mr. President" or "Dear UT Austin" or "Dear (Office of the) President".

Chris Johnson's webcam URL (for reference in the email) http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/ (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/)

PLEASE, also, those of you who are active on other boards and Facebook,  repost this or something like it to get the word out.

THANKS!!

Today Chris' blog describes the situation:
http://chriswjohnson.blogspot.com (http://chriswjohnson.blogspot.com)

Note that he has always funded the cam out of his own pocket.

Here is some of that (far from all)

Chris Johnson: My ability to update my eastern screech owl nest box camera web site was disabled, and my access to the relevant machine also disabled, for reasons that have not been communicated to me. While the machine’s web server is still operating, there is no way to update the pages there to communicate this situation to viewers. Posting here is the best I can manage. 

To the cam’s many viewers in homes, offices and classrooms around the world, I apologize. Until now, the cam’ has been running for 13 years from the computer on my desk at The University of Texas at Austin as my very own educational outreach program. There is no precedent for this site shutdown or loss of access.

Jennifer: Just submitted my email on behalf of myself and my students! We need our owls!

 Fingers crossed that the site will be reinstated. I've been a faithful fan of Mme. & Mr. Owl for 8 years and have been really looking forward to the new nesting season. I was just commenting the other day how great the site was looking and running this year, too...


Chris Johnson: Thank you so much for that. Not just for the support, which says that other people see the value in this project that I do (and perhaps I don't appreciate fully the value of the project to some people like yourself), but also to hear that the site has been useful to you and your students is a point of pride for me. I'm glad when I can provide a little education, or inspiration to anyone (or just satisfy the curiosity of passersby). I'm glad in bulk when I hear from educators who are using it with their classes. 

I hope that the President’s Office will become aware of this project and its value, and be motivated not merely to put an end to the present problem, but support the expansion of the site to make it an even more engaging resource for you and your students (and, for that matter, everyone else, too).

Thanks again.


BaggyWrinkle: Thank you Chris, for letting us know. I'm sure Mme Owl will continue her work without our visual support, but what nail-biting suspense for us. Would petitions to UTofA be of any use?

Chris Johnson: I wouldn't suggest petitions. However, I think polite and respectful emails to the public feedback email address of the UT Austin Office of the President would be a good idea. (I’m fully aware that you suggested nothing impolite or disrespectful - just wanted to get that out there.) Bear in mind that the people reading that email will probably be unaware of the site, and had no role in taking it down, though they could be of enormous assistance in undoing this embarrassment and securing the site’s future. (And I have some ideas for a K-college, hands-on, multi-disciplinary, educational outreach program that would use the site as an exemplar and seed, if the opportunity were to present itself....)

 Of course, people who hate the cam‘ can write and say what a good idea it was to unilaterally disable it and/or save all those taxpayers dollars (even though I’ve always funded the cam’—everything except the computer on my office desk—out of my own pocket). Meanwhile, people who've enjoyed it, been inspired or educated by it, etc. can express their views. The University of Texas at Austin wants, I believe, to be a force for good in the world, creating educational opportunities everywhere it can, so where you live should make no difference to the value it places on your opinion. 

I haven’t wanted to recommend this course of action personally (the President of UT is, ultimately, my boss, after all), but I know some people have already written to that office (a few have told me so, and I’m deeply grateful), and your question gives me a timely opportunity to say that I think that’s a good approach to the issue.

That said, my thanks for caring, and do what you think is best.

----Chris




I have posted this on facebook and will be writing to the president.

Hope it will work. If not, I hope he can find another way to bring the owls to us.

Thanks, Ei. I'm not sure he can afford to spring for another venue all by himself (as is, he has always done all the computer, construction, technological and wildlife-hosting-and-nurturing work himself for free), and I can't imagine it was hurting the University to host it...what a shame...no more deranged owlets mugging the camera...

among the comments on Chris' blog (people who have sent emails to the U of Texas Austin president's office -- details below, if you have a moment to send one) there is the following, which I found very touching:

"St. Alban's School from Warrington, England have asked for the powers that be can let 26 eight-year old children follow the 'real science' owl cam to watch the owlets and owls from Texas."

I have a feeling that these emails will not be in vain -- the university just needs to know what an asset and a credit to the University the cam is and how it is appreciated -- by "people who want to learn about their own screech owls, those who want a connection with this hidden part of nature, random passersby and the many teachers and their students who enjoy, or even depend on, the cam"

I checked this site today and there's now camera pics of the box although the date isn't current.  Wonder what's going on because I've had a blank screen since someone pulled the site.

It's current on mine when I opened it a while ago..........

The pictures on the home page are not current, but the actual cam pages are updating...at least the date is current. I'd have to assume the pictures are refreshing too.

In fact...just posted on his blog...

Tuesday, March 12, 2013
The Return of The Screech Owl Nest Box Cam’

With my thanks to everyone who helped make it possible, I’d like to announce that Chris’ Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box Cam’ is back from the dead and has even returned to its old home.

To the best of my knowledge, the first egg has not yet hatched (I’m guessing it will tomorrow), so, while I couldn’t share two weeks of brooding, I will be able to share all four weeks of owlet raising.

Tell your friends.
Posted by Chris Johnson at 2:25 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Nest Box Cam, Owl

Yep!!!!  I just got this email!!! Yaaaaayyy!

Dear Dr. Pesmen,

Thank you for your concern regarding the Eastern Screech Owl Webcam/Website.  I am pleased to inform you the website has been restored.

Sincerely,

William Powers, Jr.
President

When I looked,  the date was Feb. 28th but the clock was moving like crazy!  Glad it's back and just in time for Owlettes!

Great News ! Congratulations !

Chris writes:

March 12 – Two weeks of forced downtime have come to an end, just in time, I think, for the hatching of the first egg to be shared. My thanks to everyone who helped make this possible.

Several people have asked if Mr. Owl’s hunting skills have improved during this time. The answer appears to be “no.” Food deliveries are still primarily caterpillars with a smattering of other insects, like grasshoppers. A few geckos may be delivered on the warmer nights when they are out and about, but I don’t believe Mme. Owl is getting a proper diet, nor one well suited to the forthcoming owlets; there just aren’t enough vertebrates to, for instance, build healthy bones.

I am hoping that the first sight of a hatchling will kickstart whatever instincts (if prey selection has an instinctive component), or good judgement, Mr. Owl has been lacking thus far, and cause him to seek large (by screech owl standards) vertebrate prey.

If that doesn’t work, I have mice in my freezer. Of course, if I have to feed Mme. and the kids, I’m going to want visitation rights.

A young dad, he may get the message when he sees all them mouths to feed. (I hope). There's always surrogate Chris!!  :thumbsup: I love a good back-up! Thanks

Chris has posted...

March 16 – 2:45 AM CDT – The first sound of hatching was heard at one minute into this movie  (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130316/video/20130316-024449-CDT.mp4)(MPEG-4, 31.1 MB) and again, more clearly, eleven seconds later. (Note Mme. Owl’s sudden and consuming interest in what’s going on beneath her.) This is the “peeping” egg stage; the owlet hasn't escaped its egg, but is making sounds from within. It may, or may not, have already punctured the egg shell using the temporary egg tooth at the end of its beak.

By 4:47 AM CDT a hole in one egg was clearly visible (the dark spot on the bottom-right egg). From that starting point the owlet will cut away the egg shell. Its mother will not help it until is out of the shell, which, presumably, is a test of the hatchling’s viability. However, after that, she’ll do everything in her power to care for it.

We have an owlet! And the next is on its way!

March 16 – 7:27 PM CDT – Sunset is officially at 7:41 PM CDT, and Mme. Owl will be out of the box for a little while at some point afterward (as soon as it is reasonably dark, perhaps at 8:05 PM CDT, which is evening civil twilight), so viewers watching the time-lapse views (the attic view ought to be best) will have a good chance of spotting owlet no. 1.

5:20 PM CDT – Egg no. 1 has hatched successfully, and a hole has appeared in egg no. 2.

2:48 PM CDT – All four eggs are still intact. That is not a problem, however; hatching can take 24 hours. All the same, if egg no. 1 hasn’t hatched by sundown when Mme. Owl takes her constitutional, I’ll probably bring the box down to get a direct look at the situation, re-weigh the eggs, etc.

3 owlets!

March 17 – 6:20 AM CDT – Egg no. 3 has hatched. Also, the hatchlings should eat well this coming day, because Mme. Owl has cached not only the mouse I delivered to the nest box, but one of the geckos her mate supplied.

March 16 – Time Unknown – Egg no. 2 hatched. That happend sometime during the night of March 16/17, but on which side of midnight I can’t say yet. Details to be determined.

Does she have her timing down or what. Good job.
here's one, before the next two were hatched (I think) - and another
("What's with the bugs? Go get FOOD. You see what's going on here!")

three heads, I think

I saw 3 for sure last night. Looks like the last egg is still intact.

Ant eviction underway

Scratch. Scratch-scratch-scratch... Scratch!

Just wondering if he can get in trouble for interfering with nature. No one else does what he does, in that sense. Guess it depends on the individual? So used to hearing not to interfere, let nature take it's course. I'm more confused now! I think it's great what he's doing, feeding, taking care of the cleaning of the nest. I'd do it too, 10 fold!

Everyone back home!

He usually takes photos when he has them down...can't wait!

I don't think he'll get in trouble. E. Screech owls aren't endangered. The box is on his personal property. Not what we're used to, but it's what he's been doing for years with the guidance of a friend who is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Good to know, thanks!

March 18 – 8:26 AM CDT - Mme. Owl left the nest not long before dawn. Since I was still up and watching when she did that (having been attempting to nail down the details of laying and hatching times for the owlets), I rushed out to bring the nest box down, find-out where the ants were based, remove them, and make sure they didn't return.

Couldn’t find a nest anywhere. Nor was it evident from watching them where they were entering and exiting the box. In the end, I pulled out all the modules (roof, and both sides) to dust their sockets with Sevin-5 pesticide. Ordinarily, I don’t use pesticides, but to keep owlets safe, I’ve done it before, and will do it again. This stuff is what eliminated the first ant invasion the of the nest box a few years ago. No surface to which the owls or owlets is directly exposed was touched with the pesticide, but I hope that whatever pathway the ants were using is now lethal to them.

My friend Sallie, the raptor rehabilitator, recommended Sevin-5 for this purpose, telling me that when she receives birds in danger of dying from being covered in parasites, fire ants, etc. that are too numerous to attack and remove individually, she’ll actually dust the bird with this stuff, on the grounds that the parasites will kill it for certain, so anything that buys the bird a chance to survive, is better for the bird than the alternative.

Having played Mme Owl to the owlets and the unhatched egg (some body had to keep them warm, since I don't happen to have an incubator lying around), I can say that the three hatchlings are active and look perfect, and the egg is alive, peeping, and portions of its surface are cracked in promising ways. There was no hole, but I’m assuming the cracking is a step in that direction. The owlet weights are 20.9, 22.2 and 18.9 grams ±0.2 grams. The egg is 15.1 grams, with the same margin for error.

Photos later, if any of them are worth a darn.

excellent! thanks!
I want to see owlet pictures. like, real soon.

I just read this: (!!!!)

Regrettably, I did have to remove a cache of four geckos (some part eaten, some not), because I couldn’t be certain that they hadn’t been touched by any of the hastily applied Sevin-5 dust, so there’s no food in the box anymore. I’ll give Mme Owl a mouse later today, to make it up to her and the owlets. I could do it sooner, but I think she’s been through enough this morning. Although, until the songbirds woke-up and noticed her observing the box cleaning process from a branch about fifteen feet from where I was working, she was calm and made no protest; she just kept an eye on me, and, undoubtedly, listened to the owlet and egg sounds coming from the inside pockets of my jacket (owlets in one pocket, egg in the other). Unfortunately, as soon as a bluejay noticed her, she had to head for cover.

Owlets in one pocket, egg in the other...wow.

March 18 – 6:38 PM CDT - Making-up for confiscating her cache of geckos this morning, I injected a mouse into the nest box via the entry hole. Mme. Owl did not fly out in panic, this time. Instead, she stayed put on the floor with the owlets and merely raised her ear tufts in annoyance at the disturbance.

4:19 PM CDT - Owlet no. 4 hatched successfully.

I thought I saw a good sized crack in the egg earlier!

all four. How great.
this is a really unusual one

How teensy!

They look like little cotton balls  :wub: :wub:

They are so cute!  :heart:

Look at those little sweeties!!!

if you use the daily viewer (click a calendar date http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/ (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/)) there are 500 still shots for each day that you can go through fast or slow, forward or backwards. If you do that for yesterday's date, it's constant movement! Owlets crawling around nonstop! Here is one of the only ones where Mme. Owl seems to have composed a tidy shot for a nice couple-day-old family photo...think again!

a few from yesterday. I do recommend the daily viewer (access through the calendar dates)
I saw some deliveries, but I'm wondering if that objet in the last picture is something Papa Chris hurled in.

My guess a Papa Chris Gift !

You're right, Linda! I found out -- it was from him!

yum

a nice video showing all four of the hungry owlets and Mr. Owl arriving with a moth and not having the foggiest idea how to feed an owlet.
http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130322/video/20130322-021401-CDT.mp4 (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130322/video/20130322-021401-CDT.mp4)

Talk about clueless!  Hope he learns soon to supply more than little bugs for these 4!

A moth???  :-[

looking like an animated owl about to start talking

I guess Mme. Owl got exasperated with the bugs and worms her mate was schlepping in.
Beware the PO'd female screech owl. She will be coming after bigger prey next...I can see her trying to shove Chris, kicking and hollering profanities, in there!

http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130327/video/20130327-202950-CDT.mp4 (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130327/video/20130327-202950-CDT.mp4)

March 27 – 8:29 PM CDT – Mme Owl entered the nest box dragging behind her, with one foot, the largest kill this year: a dove of some kind (...the dove is only visible in the first 40 seconds, but I included the full movie for the general interest of viewers). It looks to me to be too large to be an inca dove. A mourning dove has been suggested by one viewer (thanks RCG). However, I see neither at my bird feeder or in my neighborhood (which doesn’t rule out the possibility that they are here, it just makes me think of them as unlikely finds). Especially in the case of the inca doves, the aggressive white-winged doves appear to have displaced them. If what Mme Owl brought in was actually a white-winged dove, and the wing-edge markings appear consistent with that possibility, that would make this the largest prey item I’ve ever seen any of my owls deliver to the nest in 13 years of observation.

Typically weighing 4.9 oz, a white-winged dove is within the carrying capacity of a screech owl which, if memory serves, The Book of Owls states will take prey as heavy as themselves, typically 5.8 oz, with females generally weighing more than males.

If it is a white-winged dove, and one or both of my owls has learned to hunt them (as opposed to finding one that was already dead), then the food problems are over for this owl family. And the local white-winged dove population could certainly do with some thinning.

That said, I really don’t know what type of dove it is. Opinions welcome.

13 years? Not quite on the edge of 17.

Just like the white winged dove
Sings a song, sounds like she's singing
Whoo, whoo, whoo.

 :music: :mbanana:  Sing it Shaky!  :bguitar:

I'd like to hear it! (Far cry from a moth)  :scaredblue:

   

FINALLY getting their alien on!

4 bits of assorted weirdness, 2 of which pertain to discovering that you have long legs.

"April 2 – I”ve been overdue in trying out my motion sensitive photography on the owls this year, as a follow-up to one night of experimentation last year. So, after a lot of work to make the motion sensor something I could remotely attach and detach from the nest box, building a tool for that purpose, and debugging a remote control pig-tail whose overly fine wires had broken in multiple places, I began installation of the rig around midnight of April 1/2.

With the camera equipment about 9 feet away from the nest box (though not in the nest box tree), the owls decided I was a nest site predator, despite our prior good relations, and somewhere on my neck and head I have multiple sets of talon marks to prove it. (One of these days, I must acquire a good hat.) Nonetheless everything was ultimately installed, and the camera operated from around 1:30 to 6:30 AM CDT.

One hundred forty nine photos were obtained that included an owl, of which 18 seem worthy of display (for one reason or another). You’ll find them mixed into the April 2 daily slide show in chronological order, along with the usual nest box interior images. You’ll start finding them at 2 AM, and stop finding them after 6:15 AM. (Note: Clicking on those images in the slide show will cause a larger version to be displayed.)

It’s clear to me that there’s still debugging needed in this setup. The sensor’s field of view seems to favor shots of the owls after they’ve dropped out of the nest box entry hole (leaving backwards, more often than not, in a process I have not seen, let alone caught on “film”), and are aggressively working to regain flight. Also, the focus is soft despite carefully locked focus that was based on direct measurements of the scene, and some time spent with a depth-of-field calculator. The same steps produced good focus for last year’s experiments, so obtaining good focus ought to be possible, even straightforward.

Desperately as we need the rain that kept Mme Owl in the nest box during the day today, its timing was inconvenient for me, in as much as it prevented any further experiments on the night of April 2/3, and the forecast indicates that it may well interfere with an attempt on April 3/4. Nonetheless, I’ll get other chances, and should be able to work out the problems (or learn to work with them to reasonable effect). "

Slide show at http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130402/ (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130402/)

yeah, the color photos mixed into that daily slideshow are amazing, and it's always worthwhile to run through the dailies, at double-speed if you're in a rush - stuff goes ON in there!!

They are amazing! Some of the expressions on mom are as hilarious as the owlettes.

They drop backwards out of the box and then start flying?

Wow!

Paul

maybe when they do a food drop, Paul - not sure. Often they are facing out and launch from that position.
Here are two more of the killer set of shots from the other day...plus one more, to test your sanity

owlets, anyone? Chris has been mixing a few nighttime outdoor flight shots into the daily 500-capture slideshows. They're stunning. In the meantime,

"Yep, tomorrow is Monday!"

Two owlets can get up on the perch as of yesterday, and at least one is hanging at the entry hole and watching the world. Things are wild and crowded!

April 10 – There’s been a lack of clarity of the images from the side video camera. It's a safe bet around this time in nesting that enough wet adults have hit the window in front of the camera with their wings, and enough inquisitive owlets have poked, prodded, and even tried to climb that same window, that some grunge has accumulated. Therefore, during a lull in the food deliveries at 5:33 AM, I brought the box down to clean the window, and, I thought, to take some owlet photos. The box came down, I opened it up, found what I expected: four owlets playing dead. But one was ruining the effect by adding bill clapping sounds to its “dead” impression. Giving it an ear rub would quiet it (and seem put it to sleep, like rubbing a dog’s belly), but it would always open its eyes again and start the bill clapping sounds. ...
(much more to read on the owlcam page)

and a few pictures from the last few days (talk about the hairy eyeball, Ei!):

LOVE THEM!!!!!!!

interesting in the dailies is that Chris will insert a color flight shot from outside in chronological order, so you'll see an adult owl approaching the nestbox, with the next capture from inside, owlets going ballistic to get whatever food item that adult had been bringing in.

owlet wing, owlet silliness

(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r32/djweeds/eyespy_zps8b5da984.jpg)   :scaredblue:

hahahaha - yeah...every year there are some of those. isn't that insane? I wish they were more focused!!

aha. here's a more focused cyclops shot.
One or more of the owlets seems to be spending a LOT of time sitting in the entryway. Otherwise, things look pretty crowded indoors, with someone always playing Dracula and someone clowning around, flapping, etc.

26 incredible color flight shots mixed into the 3/12 slideshow
http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130412/ (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130412/)
and owlet family portrait, hopefully, after tomorrow!!!

Chris posts:
April 12 – ...It appears that every owlet can now climb into the entry hole, but none are going very far into its three inch depth, so their primary goal in doing so, at least at night, is to grab all of the food deliveries until they’re full, at which point they go have a rest on the nest box floor, and some other owlet moves into entry hole. You'll see them in a number of the photos either waiting for, or receiving, food. (When they sit in the entry hole during the day, it’s to take in the sights and sounds.)

Tomorrow afternoon I anticipate bringing down the nest box for the annual attachment of the owlet rail, and owlet family portrait. The weather forecast is favorable, and it doesn’t look like the owlets are anxious to leave the nest between now and then (fingers crossed), so I hope to have some good owlet photos for you in the April 14 update.

By the way, to safeguard against future hosting problems, such as those that kept this site down for two and a half weeks earlier this season (my thanks, once again, to everyone whose emails, etc. fixed that problem), I’ve registered the domain “ChrisOwlCam.net”. Currently, that address just takes you to good old “gargravarr” at UT Austin, but it could take you to an alternate host in the future.

there will be some owlet photos, apparently. In the meantime, after the owlet rail installation, one immediately took advantage of it!

April 14 – 9:35 PM CDT – Owlet no. 1 left the nest box an hour or so ago. As soon as I noticed it disappearing into the entry hole (or exit hole, in this case), I went outside to watch it. It spent a long time on the owlet rail evaluating its options, and even being fed a time or two by mom and dad. Then it executed a perfect jump to a limb near the far end of the owlet rail, climbed as high as it could on that limb, and leapt across the gap to another limb, clambered up that to a small branch, and stayed there so long I had to give-up my watching. I assume it’s still there, contemplating its next move, and, I’m sure, hoping for a food delivery or two. I’ll be doing my best to check on its whereabouts throughout the night.

11:15 PM CDT – Between the time the first owlet leaves the nest (thus becoming a “brancher”), and all the owlets have left the nest and begun to fly (thus becoming “fledglings”), the adult owls spend their nights operating in a hyper-defensive mode that results in any potential threat that passes near a tree containing an owlet being warned with bill clapping to go away, warned more severely with mock attack passes, and finally outright attacks, which are not unlike being unexpectedly hit in the head with a well lobbed softball that happens to have needle-sharp talons.

Tonight, however, this clodhopper seems to have found a curious loophole in the rules: Go out on a pleasant night when the sky is bright enough to make silhouettes of the trees, lay down in the grass between a favorite screech owl perch and their nest, their branchers, or, ideally, all three, then watch and listen. The adults will fly to and from the hunt and the nest answering the begging calls of owlets, they will fly to branchers with food, they will pause on branches above you for long studies, they will fly silent and low just above you apparently without ill intent, and they will also pause on favorite perches nearby and exchange songs with each other; the conversations of owls. Call it anthropomorphizing, if you wish, but I recommend withholding judgement until hearing it yourself.

Tonight, while exploiting that loophole for several hours, I watched owlet no. 1, leap and climb, leap and climb its way through the nest box tree, and into the adjacent crepe myrtle, which will provide it with good cover during the day tomorrow. Silent arcs of migrating birds, their pale undersides caught in the city lights, disappeared into the north one after another, crickets sang from all sides, light winds passed by, playing in the grass as they went, and a few Alpha Virginids even showed themselves.

Owlet no. 1 could scarcely have chosen a better night for branching.

Truly fine nature writing by Chris.
(the family portrait isn't bad, either)

Thanks, Dale.

Paul

If anyone is enjoying the owls, Chris has, as you know, had a REALLY rugged year keeping the owlcam going and, I know, REALLY appreciates emails saying so or, if you're up to it, postcards.

there's a link to send email at the bottom of the main owlcam page
http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/ (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/)

("If you are enjoying the Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box Cam' this season, please send a picture postcard, ideally depicting where you live. My address (as of April 4, 2013) is: Chris W. Johnson, P.O. Box 7806, Austin, TX 78713, USA. If you have questions or comments, continue to send email.)

His new postal address: Chris W. Johnson, P.O. Box 7806, Austin, TX 78713, USA

this is owlet #2 to leave, I think

Owlet 4 watches owlet 3, who has just left the box, climb away.
Owlet 4 followed suit shortly, albeit in a different direction.
Great description from Chris on the main page - his two retrievals of owlets (from the ground and too-low) and the tiny puncture wounds he has to show for his kindness...

Sigh! Empty nest syndrome...stay safe babies!

great video. It was during the day after the first branching. three owlets and Mme. in the box, and a bit of everything for the connoisseur - slurpy amphibian-eating, mom trying to dislodge an owlet that is inconveniently plugging the exit hole, owlets promiscuously hoping for food from any possible source, etc.
http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130415/video/20130415-235053-CDT.mp4 (http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/owl/2013/20130415/video/20130415-235053-CDT.mp4)

I love the undignified shot of the owlet with the long tail hanging out of its mouth.

yeah, they always look funny slurping up geckos. You look for the meatballs and tomato sauce.

 :rofl:

Chris reports hearing and seeing all four owlets (three in the same tree, one more distant) -- and posted photos of two of them