Thought was had a current topic on this cam!
Oh well: Update
This year has brought with it many exciting challenges that have demanded a lot of our time and attention. Work has brought the opportunity to travel with groups. Our sport has seen us fitting in races that I never thought possible β the most recent being our trip to Colorado. A few weeks ago we adopted a new young female Border Collie to keep our dog, Destin, company. Like Destin, Layla is a 100% rescue dog β found under-nourished, cowering and in need of some TLC wandering around a dusty township. And I have been working on a animated movie script with a great conservation message in it. PPO is a character in the story, but is not the hero. The hero is a young Rhino β and more of that to come.
So what does all this have to do with PPO, Pappa and their family?
Is PPO still around?
Will she choose to nest on our balcony again, or will she find a new nesting spot?
Firstly, our movements have a lot to do with PPO β at least in the sense of monitoring her and Pappa, and 'checking in' on facebook. Travelling a lot means we're not at home to report all the good stuff β when the owls visit the balcony, how long they stay and which pot plant they are likely to choose for their nest this time around.
Judging by the mess on the balcony floor (soil kicked everywhere), I'd say that PPO hasn't yet decided which pot plant container to choose. She's still seeing which one fits better, and will probably decide on the day.
By all accounts, PPO plans on nesting again. Usually, she lays at least one egg in August and now we are into September and no egg in sight. Although this is later than usual, it is by no means an indication that she definitely won't lay eggs this season. We've just had a long cold spell which may account for a delay of a week or two. The winter has also been drier than usual so perhaps food availability is tight (until the rains come and insects come out). Perhaps PPO wants a longer break after the second attempt at breeding this past season.
The good news is that whatever she decides to do, we will be around (between our travels) to report the goings on. The bad news is that this year we've decided to give the webcam a break.
Yes, I know. I can hear the sighs, upsets, and tears from here. I appreciate that you may be upset and will miss being able to see PPO, Pappa and their family 24/7. This was not an easy decision to come to, and we spent a lot of time writing out the pros and cons. Ultimately, the decision boils down to not enough time in the day to tweak cameras, amend angles, cut branches, work on sound, check internet settings and fix problems that arise from having a 24/7 webcam operating from our home. We may not be home for a week and if something goes wrong with the webcam then, you will be upset β and likely to lose interest in PPO. At the end of the day, we have to look at what's practical for us (the ones who have to troubleshoot webcam issues at home). We are not deciding never to broadcast PPO again. This is a decision for this season only (should PPO nest), and we will review our decision next time.
When we can, we will keep you updated on all movements in PPO land via facebook and the PPO blog, which will start up when PPO decides to nest again.
Right now, my movie script is finished and I'm ready to pitch my Rhino story. If any PPO fan has a contact at an animation production house or a movie financing house, please let me know. It's near on impossible to pitch a story idea when everyone states βno unsolicitated ideasβ.
Well, that's it for now. We acquired a small HD movie camera so when we figure out how to work it, we will also post video clips of PPO, Pappa and the family (hopefully). Warm regards to you all!
This should be merged -General Nature Discussion-Potted Plant Owls are back in Johannesburg
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