owlets #4 and 5 are going to ask Sallie to take them back...I think we have a bossy one.

April 22 – Sallie called to tell relay the latest information on owlet no. 4. On the 21st he/she was 63.0 grams and on the 22nd 80.9 grams. All of which is good. Unfortunately, his/her eyes haven't opened yet. The eyelids are now being treated with a long-lasting moisturizing agent intended for use on/around eyes. With luck, if there’s actually something interfering with eye opening, that’ll reduce its hold and allow the eyes to begin opening. In the meantime, Sallie is considering adding owlet no. 5 (the adoptee) to the nest ahead of the return of no. 4, just to give the adults some time to become accustomed to feeding four owlets, before they have to feed five (when no. 4 finally returns). I’ve taken some photos of owlets 4 and 5, and will make those available soon.

The incest taboo is primarily cultural, at least on the scale of a generation or two, as far as I know. Inbred dogs that end up with weak hips and the like have been inbred a LOT. Of course if there is some very dominant weakness, it may be magnified by inbreeding, but in many very successful human cultures (that have no observed high rate of birth defects, etc), what we would call "first cousins" are the preferred choices of mate.

willya look at those wings.

she's a squirmer AND a squawker. Thanks, Jeanne and BigFrank!

isn't that fun? I just saw.
I hope #4's eyes are OK

Two very nice feeding pictures. I've been noticing how she often shelters an owlet or owlets under her wing while feeding them. Here that's clear.

doesn't it look like they're playing Royal Court?
"Your Majesty, I beg your leave to eat a dead waxwing..."

hahahahaha! he's still there now, but normal-shaped again.

this one cracks me up, from earlier. A very big head start on mugging the cam lens

Divebombing peregrine falcons fascinate neighborhood.

I've never gone over to see the St. Michael's birds, although they're not all that far.
Thanks for the article, Donna.

must-see entry with incredible photos of the owlets, on Chris' blog
http://chriswjohnson.blogspot.com/2011/04/owlets-on-17th.html
on the owl page he says that his rehabber friend has decided to keep the owlet one more day.

open eyes (and beak)

Chris writes:
April 20 – It’s finally available: Chris Cooley’s “Owl Nest Box� app. for Apple’s iThings. It’s free, so if you have an iThing, consider it recommended, and go & get it.

A couple random frames:

The address is 220 Duncan Mills Road, Toronto. If google results can be trusted, it appears to hold a variety of businesses, including a caviar supplier, an early education reading program, a real estate development corporation, and a computer repair company... unfortunately, no suite or floor numbers are given.

thanks.
Whoa. I wonder if the caviar supplier knows what kind of eggs are right outside his window?
Revenge of the eggs, huh.

I know this must have been posted and I missed it, sorry - but who owns the building (and the office!!!) where Quest's scrape actually IS? The photo ops from BRC are outstanding, but who actually has her on their windowsill?