Chris -- SCREECH OWL nestbox 2013

[Dumpsterkitty]

The pictures on the home page are not current, but the actual cam pages are updating...at least the date is current. I'd have to assume the pictures are refreshing too.

[Dumpsterkitty]

In fact...just posted on his blog...

Tuesday, March 12, 2013
The Return of The Screech Owl Nest Box Cam’

With my thanks to everyone who helped make it possible, I’d like to announce that Chris’ Eastern Screech Owl Nest Box Cam’ is back from the dead and has even returned to its old home.

To the best of my knowledge, the first egg has not yet hatched (I’m guessing it will tomorrow), so, while I couldn’t share two weeks of brooding, I will be able to share all four weeks of owlet raising.

Tell your friends.
Posted by Chris Johnson at 2:25 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Nest Box Cam, Owl

[dale]

Yep!!!!  I just got this email!!! Yaaaaayyy!

Dear Dr. Pesmen,

Thank you for your concern regarding the Eastern Screech Owl Webcam/Website.  I am pleased to inform you the website has been restored.

Sincerely,

William Powers, Jr.
President

[Kris G.]

The pictures on the home page are not current, but the actual cam pages are updating...at least the date is current. I'd have to assume the pictures are refreshing too.

When I looked,  the date was Feb. 28th but the clock was moving like crazy!  Glad it's back and just in time for Owlettes!

[carla]

Yep!!!!  I just got this email!!! Yaaaaayyy!

Dear Dr. Pesmen,

Thank you for your concern regarding the Eastern Screech Owl Webcam/Website.  I am pleased to inform you the website has been restored.

Sincerely,

William Powers, Jr.
President

Great News ! Congratulations !

[gayle]

Yep!!!!  I just got this email!!! Yaaaaayyy!

Dear Dr. Pesmen,

Thank you for your concern regarding the Eastern Screech Owl Webcam/Website.  I am pleased to inform you the website has been restored.

Sincerely,

William Powers, Jr.
President

Thanks for your good and effective efforts, Dale.

[dale]

Chris writes:

March 12 – Two weeks of forced downtime have come to an end, just in time, I think, for the hatching of the first egg to be shared. My thanks to everyone who helped make this possible.

Several people have asked if Mr. Owl’s hunting skills have improved during this time. The answer appears to be “no.� Food deliveries are still primarily caterpillars with a smattering of other insects, like grasshoppers. A few geckos may be delivered on the warmer nights when they are out and about, but I don’t believe Mme. Owl is getting a proper diet, nor one well suited to the forthcoming owlets; there just aren’t enough vertebrates to, for instance, build healthy bones.

I am hoping that the first sight of a hatchling will kickstart whatever instincts (if prey selection has an instinctive component), or good judgement, Mr. Owl has been lacking thus far, and cause him to seek large (by screech owl standards) vertebrate prey.

If that doesn’t work, I have mice in my freezer. Of course, if I have to feed Mme. and the kids, I’m going to want visitation rights.

[Donna]

A young dad, he may get the message when he sees all them mouths to feed. (I hope). There's always surrogate Chris!!  I love a good back-up! Thanks

[Dumpsterkitty]

Chris has posted...

March 16 – 2:45 AM CDT – The first sound of hatching was heard at one minute into this movie (MPEG-4, 31.1 MB) and again, more clearly, eleven seconds later. (Note Mme. Owl’s sudden and consuming interest in what’s going on beneath her.) This is the “peeping� egg stage; the owlet hasn't escaped its egg, but is making sounds from within. It may, or may not, have already punctured the egg shell using the temporary egg tooth at the end of its beak.

By 4:47 AM CDT a hole in one egg was clearly visible (the dark spot on the bottom-right egg). From that starting point the owlet will cut away the egg shell. Its mother will not help it until is out of the shell, which, presumably, is a test of the hatchling’s viability. However, after that, she’ll do everything in her power to care for it.

[Dumpsterkitty]

We have an owlet! And the next is on its way!

March 16 – 7:27 PM CDT – Sunset is officially at 7:41 PM CDT, and Mme. Owl will be out of the box for a little while at some point afterward (as soon as it is reasonably dark, perhaps at 8:05 PM CDT, which is evening civil twilight), so viewers watching the time-lapse views (the attic view ought to be best) will have a good chance of spotting owlet no. 1.

5:20 PM CDT – Egg no. 1 has hatched successfully, and a hole has appeared in egg no. 2.

2:48 PM CDT – All four eggs are still intact. That is not a problem, however; hatching can take 24 hours. All the same, if egg no. 1 hasn’t hatched by sundown when Mme. Owl takes her constitutional, I’ll probably bring the box down to get a direct look at the situation, re-weigh the eggs, etc.

[Dumpsterkitty]

3 owlets!

March 17 – 6:20 AM CDT – Egg no. 3 has hatched. Also, the hatchlings should eat well this coming day, because Mme. Owl has cached not only the mouse I delivered to the nest box, but one of the geckos her mate supplied.

March 16 – Time Unknown – Egg no. 2 hatched. That happend sometime during the night of March 16/17, but on which side of midnight I can’t say yet. Details to be determined.

[dale]

Does she have her timing down or what. Good job.
here's one, before the next two were hatched (I think) - and another
("What's with the bugs? Go get FOOD. You see what's going on here!")

[dale]

three heads, I think

[Dumpsterkitty]

three heads, I think

I saw 3 for sure last night. Looks like the last egg is still intact.

[Dumpsterkitty]

Ant eviction underway