Chris -- SCREECH OWL nestbox 2013

[Donna]

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

[Dumpsterkitty]

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.

[dale]

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

[dale]

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.

[dale]

four eggs.

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

[Donna]

four eggs.

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

 

[dale]

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.)

[dale]

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

[dale]

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/

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!!

[dale]

Today Chris' blog describes the situation:
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




[Dumpsterkitty]

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.

[dale]

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...

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.

[dale]

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"

[Kris G.]

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.

[NoraH]

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