2011 - Eastern Screech Owl Nestbox in Austin!

[dale]

[Are you speculating that an owlet or an egg has gone AWOL?  Tickled my funny bone -- I have a visual image of an egg trying to sneak out of the box in the dark of night...except it discovers that it has no legs or climbing appendages.

hahahaha. well, we DID have 4 eggs.
There are CLEARLY 2 owlets in there and one egg.
I THINK I see another owlet but maybe not. Doesn't it look like a lineup in that last capture?
But, as Ei wrote, until we have a beak count, parts are parts.
Also looks exactly like 2 owlets and a couple of cotton balls the third owlet strategically placed in there so she could...um...yeah, like you said

[dale]

Chris confirmed that that still I posted was indeed a lineup - 2 owlets facing south, one facing north (or vice versa), and one ovoid.  All accounted for, SIR.

He also mentions insects; he may open the box to make sure they're not fire ants;

he also writes  this:

"there's a free iPhone app. for watching the owl cam’ written by long-time friend and former colleague Chris Cooley. He’s incorporated a time-lapse movie mode that I've been meaning to support in the web interface for a while . . . I’ll be sure to mention when it becomes available. (It has already been submitted to Apple, it’s just waiting for Apple’s people to approve it.)"

[Dumpsterkitty]

I haven't seen the ovoid today, but the cottonball lineup is pretty extensive...

[dale]

yeah, I've been watching that. What a mess.

[Paul Hamilton]

I keep thinking we are down an ovoid and up a cottonball.

Paul

[Dumpsterkitty]

Who you callin' an ovoid?

[dale]

yes, we are looking a bit peaked, if not downright belligerent.

[dale]

Paul, I believe you may be right - we may be 4 for 4

[dale]

Oh, yeah - there's no way that's 3 birds.

[Dumpsterkitty]

Yup-it's official!

April 14 – Egg no. 4 hatched sometime prior to 12:48 PM. The owlet looks OK.

In view of the insect presence in the nest box (threat level still undetermined), it's pretty clear that what this nest needs is a Texas Blind Snake. Anybody got a spare I can have, or know of a source of them?

[Dumpsterkitty]

      

 

[Donna]

      

 

They do make some funny faces! 

[rssport]

  She's been in the rum again, I think.   

[MAK]

She's been in the rum again, I think.   

  Very funny! 

[Dumpsterkitty]

One up front, 3 toward the back...guess they don't need to huddle together for warmth!