Only two weeks earlier, the parents were tearing off small pieces of meat and feeding the babies. This film is a hoot. Cheerios; Ed

Cannabalism 2

This film shows the male swallowing whole, three connected bones from the wing of a baby owl. The female isn't visible. The male hasn't flown away much with plenty to eat.

Cannabalism 1

The morning after the chicks died, the parents began eating them. The literature says that cannabalism is common with barn owls. It is still early in the mating season and we expect another batch of eggs. Stay tuned. Ed

Baby owl death

The blizzard on the 18th of February left the parents challenged to find sufficient food for four hungry mouths. By Saturday night, the babies were dead. This film isn't too pleasant but I have been told that they will commence the whole process all over again. The season is still young. Stay tuned; Ed

4 owls babies! 2-19-11

Owl sign off for the season

Here's a baby peeking out of the Hoostel.
The Owls are mostly gone now. It's too hot in the barn during the days and the Owls are definitely out and about. They do occassionally come in during the night as we are still cleaning up after them. I sure hope they are eating voles on our farm and not venturing too far away. We'll check back in next winter and see who shows up. Adios; Ed The two adults and 2 of the 3 babies.

Full grown baby barn owls 5-22-10

The house is full. Generally, the parents were sitting outside the house during the days while sleeping as the babies filled the house. This movie shows a third smaller baby that the mother is sitting on. The babies now fly and we've seen them on the far end of the barn perched on the window sills.

owls 5-4-10

The juveniles are taking on color and are out growing the house. Both parents are now routinely sitting on the rafters outside of the owl house. With warmer temperatures, the juveniles are no longer in need of mother's warmth. This movie shows the parents bringing in mice that the juveniles swallow whole. We can count three juveniles for sure but the camera angle prevents viewing. Very soon, we expect the juveniles to come out of the house and try the perches. The attached photo shows the parents sitting in the rafters near the house. Stay tuned; Ed

big babies 4-12-10

We haven't had the cam up for a week and the babys have grown rapidly. There are three for sure, one being small and late hatching. We hope the best for him/her in this crowded house. When the male flies in with mice, the congestion is overwhelming. Soon, we should see the babies out of the box on the perches. Stay tuned; Ed

Finally; two chicks are evident in this download. Still plenty more eggs but time is running out as the competition in the nest will be fierce. Stay tuned; Ed

So many eggs, female flies off, male visits

Egg hatching is close at hand! I can no longer count the eggs as they are just a pile. I bet the female is tired of sitting around. She flies off for short (3 minute) periods but otherwise, just rotates herself once and awhile. The house is littered deep with mouse carcasses and the female seems to randomly pick through the heap. Maybe all the fur helps keep the eggs warm. Stay tuned for hatching in another week? Ed

4 eggs!

This latest owl cam shows the female standing up and revealing at least 4 eggs. In another two weeks, we should have hatching. Stay tuned; Ed

Owl cam female leaves nest, three eggs in view

Hi folks; This is our first recording of the female leaving her nest. The actual time that she was gone was 3 minutes. Bird friends tell me that the male is bringing her mice but we haven't seen this on the films. Most of our films are made between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. as they wake up each evening. I hear the eggs will be hatching in another 20 days and we will be providing film of hatchlings for a few months. Stay tuned; Ed

owls mating and first egg viewing 2-14-10

Happy Valentines Day! We knew something was up when we noticed one of the owls (the female) was sitting down all the time instead of sleeping on one foot. She's sitting on eggs and if you watch carefully, you can see an egg by her feet when she stands up. We will move the camera up at some point to get better views of the owl house floor.

Owl cam mating 1-29-10

We hadn't seen a female present during the first two weeks of filming. If you look carefully to the left of the owl box, you can see the male looking towards the camera when the female comes through the wall. Stay tuned; Ed

Owl cam in action

Our barn owls sleep all day in the "Hoostel" while the seed cleaning machines make so much noise. By dusk though, they begin to stir, hanging out in the Hoostel for a short time then checking for mice in the barn before they head out. They keep a supply of dead mice on the floor of the Hoostel and leave behind a soft carpet of fur. Soon, they will leave a clutch of eggs on the "carpet" and we hope for a successful hatching. Stay tuned. Ed