I think Beauty has seen herself reflected in the camera...

"Egads!! motherhood sure takes it toll"

"And what can I do for you today"?
"beats me"
"do they bite"?

I really have appreciated Dale and Ei for keeping us all posted on the Screech Owls.  Great fun...thanks you guys!

Patti

  Many Thanks! 

what they said 

Yeah! 

[Happy Birthday to you]

     
Happy Birthday to you

[Gee...they all look a like...don't they? I'm so proud of Seneca. What are the odds of following one of MK's offspring? It's totally amazing. Maybe next year we can get Quest settled. Great pics by C&C again.]

Gee...they all look a like...don't they?  I'm so proud of Seneca. What are the odds of following one of MK's offspring? It's totally amazing.  Maybe next year we can get Quest settled.  Great pics by C&C again.

2 hatched at Travelers



May 18th, 1st chick
May 20, Carol's Bday....chick #2 arrived

This egg just doesn't look right.

Beauty needs a napkin please!

One website that I have found with a variety of webcams is the one run by Cornell U (which is probably the #1 research facility on ornithology).  Well, some of the things they found in the early days of doing this have been fascinating.  It is briefly documented here, in an article written in 2006:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/Birdscope/Winter2006/nest_box_cams.html

Well, tragedy struck last night.  The barn owls have had their chicks hatch in the last week, and around midnight a rat snake entered and the babies are no more.  It is questionable as to whether the mama escaped.  The notes written by the viewers is heartbreaking.  As of now, the snake is still in the box, so be careful if you don't want to look:

http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/camera/view?cameraID=C100160#forumTabContent

Their other cameras are working fine, however.

This is just so heartbreaking....I knew I didn't like Ssss for a reason. Poor babies.

My mom who lives in Fla. said she heard a commotion outside in the water, (she has a pond behind her house) and she saw the Alligator taking her Ibis that has been there every day, who just strolls along the edge. She's very sad.

[I all the pics......except.............. <--------]

I spent most of last week at a birding festival in Northern Ohio, on the shore of Lake Erie.  I visited the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, which is famous for being a "migrant trap", and bills itself as the "warbler capital" of the world.  I would concur, based on the number of warblers I saw!  Next door (down the highway a short distance) is the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, where I managed to successfully digiscope a couple of Great Horned Owl fledglings just out of their nest, along with a Bald Eagle.  There were two little round bowling balls with feathers; most of the time I could only get one in my scope.

The owl photos are pretty darned cute, and some of the warbler photos are passably interesting.

Warning: there are a couple of snake photos near the end of the album, so please be prepared...

Here's the gallery:
http://bellhanley.smugmug.com/Birds-Bats-Butterflies/Wide-Wide-World/Lake-Erie-Birding-May-2010

I  all the pics......except..............   <-------- Thanks Patti.

Beauty watches it all from afar..tsk tsk tsk

"What is it you two want"?
"a widdle food pwease"?

Wow...cool pics of the Owl family. One brave guy for sure...getting scalped!  Thanks dale.

(movie)

Archer almost gets it right...The Movie!   

He can't figure it out, so he leaves.  Beauty's back in a flash.  Then she leaves & sends him back.  He finally kind of perches over them...them Beauty's back to do it right!

Now that's funny.....poor Archer.

[Ahhh, hope she's OK.]

We are all wondering about Polly as well, Eve says she hasn't seen her in over a week.  Hopefully she's okay and just out exploring her world.  Apparently she has been MIA for a week before so keeping positive thoughts.  Perhaps mum suggested she take a vacation until the kids are a bit older 

Ahhh, hope she's OK.