Good comparison seen from egg to youngest and oldest.
Roxy, two owlets and an egg.
Owlet is growing nice, sitting up more balanced.
Adding a quick note and update.
Yesterday, saw two owlets and one egg was still visible.
Roxy permits her owlets a little fresh air, but they don’t go from underwing yet, as far as I can tell.
Yesterday, one little owlet had squinty eyes, but unsure if they are fully open yet.
Looking good in the nest box!
Another visit inside the nest box for Draco. Very good news!
Draco has really changed his behavior.
Since their owlets arrival they have both learned a lot.
Roxy settles as instinct and experience teaches her. Same for Draco, who went from not visiting the box,
To begin food drops and tonight he entered the nest box.
He hooted outside as he usually does, she coos and declined.
Minutes later he entered the nest box!
Roxy coos, excited to see her Draco and accept his delivery of a mouse.
Draco returns! He has been dropping food more frequently now. He and Roxy may both be calming into their rolls in parenting.
Two owlets in view!
Owlet is resting on the two eggs. Roxy left 9:35PM and returned 9:42PM on empty.
Was it her Draco who arrived at the entrance and delivered food at 9:48PM? Second time in two days there’s been a food drop that I’ve seen. He has been called sly, not accustomed to
the nest box and seems he avoids it.
Mystery what it was, but Roxy fed her tiny owlet right away.
No noticeable pip yet on her other two eggs.
Roxy flew off for a very short while. Then, the big reveal, her first owlet has arrived!
She returned with prey, possibly handed off by Draco, since she returned so quickly.
Confirmed, a broken shell. The first owlet has arrived, waiting to have a peak.
Roxy is excited. She coos softly and circled her tiny owlet. Keeping it warm, safe and hidden.
Confirmed, a broken shell.
There is perhaps a hint of the pip in this photo. Top,center.
Amazing how the tiny owlet chirps from inside the egg.
Her tiny owlet is working hard to free itself from the shell as it chirps up a storm.
Several times yesterday the owlet chirped loudly!
Last time today that I saw the eggs, today at 5:31AM she had rotated them or it rolled along on its own,
the pip was barely visible.
Note: fuzzy pixels, the date actually reads 4/16:
Pretty Roxy. She looks around a lot, chatters her beak. She was bobbing her head slightly getting a better look at the camera.
Roxy’s last egg is 28 days old today. Incubation approximately 28-33 days.
Her eggs are 34, 31 and 28 days old. Owlet should be arriving any time!
A heavy rain coming down this morning.
Pretty Roxy.
She’s been chattering her beak and seeming
a bit nervous, perhaps a young new adult.
Her Draco has visited the box once. So, we watch and discover the differences between the two NY nest boxes, he will visit close by and she flies out to greet him.
On 4/14/2018, Today Her eggs are 32, 29 and 26 days old.
Roxy’s eggs arrived 3/13, 3/16 and 3/19.
Luna’s eggs arrived 3/09, 3/12 and 3/15.
Roxy’s first egg is 27 days old. Incubation lasts 28-33 days.
What a Hoot, if her first owlet arrives before Luna’s!!
Luna’s first egg is 31 days old today. If in fact, it’s still an egg… come on twilight time!
We may get a look.
The Barred owl has four toes on each foot. They can adjust their outer front toe and rotate them backwards. Normally, 3 toes face forward and one backwards, but seen here, she rotated her outer front toe. Perhaps makes it easier to balance and walk lightly around the eggs.
Also seen in the box entrance photo, from 4/8 she’s got two toes forward and two backwards, again, may be for balance.
(Adding photo from 4/4. Something out of the ordinary.)
She exited a couple more times through the wee morning hours. Catching her return is always amazing.
She is preening and preening in the pretty morning light.
Roxy returning after a short outing.
At 6:28AM a squirrel was atop the box and peaked in. Roxy gave a warning chatter and the squirrel took heed to her warning.
Every minute more light and colorful.
Birds singing, morning light reveals a beautiful view.
Good comparison seen from egg to youngest and oldest.
Roxy, two owlets and an egg.
Owlet is growing nice, sitting up more balanced.
Adding a quick note and update.
Yesterday, saw two owlets and one egg was still visible.
Roxy permits her owlets a little fresh air, but they don’t go from underwing yet, as far as I can tell.
Yesterday, one little owlet had squinty eyes, but unsure if they are fully open yet.
Looking good in the nest box!
Another visit inside the nest box for Draco. Very good news!
Draco has really changed his behavior.
Since their owlets arrival they have both learned a lot.
Roxy settles as instinct and experience teaches her. Same for Draco, who went from not visiting the box,
To begin food drops and tonight he entered the nest box.
He hooted outside as he usually does, she coos and declined.
Minutes later he entered the nest box!
Roxy coos, excited to see her Draco and accept his delivery of a mouse.
Draco returns! He has been dropping food more frequently now. He and Roxy may both be calming into their rolls in parenting.
Two owlets in view!
Owlet is resting on the two eggs. Roxy left 9:35PM and returned 9:42PM on empty.
Was it her Draco who arrived at the entrance and delivered food at 9:48PM? Second time in two days there’s been a food drop that I’ve seen. He has been called sly, not accustomed to
the nest box and seems he avoids it.
Mystery what it was, but Roxy fed her tiny owlet right away.
No noticeable pip yet on her other two eggs.
Roxy flew off for a very short while. Then, the big reveal, her first owlet has arrived!
She returned with prey, possibly handed off by Draco, since she returned so quickly.
Confirmed, a broken shell. The first owlet has arrived, waiting to have a peak.
Roxy is excited. She coos softly and circled her tiny owlet. Keeping it warm, safe and hidden.
Confirmed, a broken shell.
There is perhaps a hint of the pip in this photo. Top,center.
Amazing how the tiny owlet chirps from inside the egg.
Her tiny owlet is working hard to free itself from the shell as it chirps up a storm.
Several times yesterday the owlet chirped loudly!
Last time today that I saw the eggs, today at 5:31AM she had rotated them or it rolled along on its own,
the pip was barely visible.
Note: fuzzy pixels, the date actually reads 4/16:
Pretty Roxy. She looks around a lot, chatters her beak. She was bobbing her head slightly getting a better look at the camera.
Roxy’s last egg is 28 days old today. Incubation approximately 28-33 days.
Her eggs are 34, 31 and 28 days old. Owlet should be arriving any time!
A heavy rain coming down this morning.
Pretty Roxy.
She’s been chattering her beak and seeming
a bit nervous, perhaps a young new adult.
Her Draco has visited the box once. So, we watch and discover the differences between the two NY nest boxes, he will visit close by and she flies out to greet him.
On 4/14/2018, Today Her eggs are 32, 29 and 26 days old.
Roxy’s eggs arrived 3/13, 3/16 and 3/19.
Luna’s eggs arrived 3/09, 3/12 and 3/15.
Roxy’s first egg is 27 days old. Incubation lasts 28-33 days.
What a Hoot, if her first owlet arrives before Luna’s!!
Luna’s first egg is 31 days old today. If in fact, it’s still an egg… come on twilight time!
We may get a look.
The Barred owl has four toes on each foot. They can adjust their outer front toe and rotate them backwards. Normally, 3 toes face forward and one backwards, but seen here, she rotated her outer front toe. Perhaps makes it easier to balance and walk lightly around the eggs.
Also seen in the box entrance photo, from 4/8 she’s got two toes forward and two backwards, again, may be for balance.
(Adding photo from 4/4. Something out of the ordinary.)
She exited a couple more times through the wee morning hours. Catching her return is always amazing.
She is preening and preening in the pretty morning light.
Roxy returning after a short outing.
At 6:28AM a squirrel was atop the box and peaked in. Roxy gave a warning chatter and the squirrel took heed to her warning.
Every minute more light and colorful.
Birds singing, morning light reveals a beautiful view.