Now the kestrels have fledged you can now watch our three barn owl chicks live via http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/a/arne/webcam.aspx.
They aren't very active during the day but watch during the evening as the parents bring them voles and mice that they catch on the heath and farmland close to their nest.
Feel free to use the forum to post any observations or questions and we will do are best to answer them!
Barn owl chicks take atleast 55 days to fledge which is a big difference to the kestrel chicks which fledged after 35 days. The oldest chick is about 50 days old and the youngest is about 40 days old so there is still abit of time before they all fledge. Female barn owls don't delay incubation of their eggs unlike the kestrels so there is always a big difference in chick size with the oldest being the most dominant and likely to eat its smaller siblings. It sounds gruesome but it is a survival mechanism and will see the older chicks through periods when food is scarce and often ensures that atleast one chick will always fledge. In the case of this nest they all look healthy and there has been plenty of food so fingers crossed for the smallest one.
Enjoy watching and listen out for the extremely scary noises they make!
Been trying for about half an hour but no webcam at the moment.
Still no webcam, hope all is well with our chicks.
Thanks Jim or whoever fixed it! Feel better now, both all cosied up as usual, they just don't want to leave do they - they must have heard about the article too, why would they want to go anywhere else?!
Jim'll Have Fixed It eh?
What's the record for barn owl chicks remaining stubbornly in the nestbox I wonder? Would love to know if they've tried using their wings yet.
One out and one in and hissing and it's now 77-78 days for the older one, they obviously don't have a sense of smell!
Oops, lost the webcam again.
Great, back on again but an empty box and a bit quiet at the moment - looks like a dead mouse has been left on the floor too - what great parents, just like the kestrels, they must be getting worn out though, I suppose they won't slow down the food parcels to tempt them out?
Still watching a dead mouse but nice to hear the hissing back, sounds like only one at present and the sound of feet - been for a little walkabout I suppose.
Same as this time last night but without the dead mouse in the box. Am very glad they are both out of the box as earlier the younger one was lying down nearly on its back in the corner 'playing dead' for ages which it has done before and then I had to go out!
Playing dead?! Oh dear.