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!
Well I would say water vole but I don't know where they would have caught one of those.
Have you practiced your screen-grabbing yet pudweena?
Yes just come home from work to see that they are both back "in the box" - are they ever going to leave?
No, Dom, sorry, otherwise would have been a good capture with the great long tail hanging out and sticking upwards up past its eye! Not a droopy tail so don't want to think about that too much(!) and didn't want to leave the webcam. Think I've got the capturing of it but it's the bit after I need to practise. Will have to wait until after Sidmouth now but have discovered the library has a computer for visitors to use so will still be able to check up and I have the picture of course, just need to record the hiss before I go and will be able to enjoy my week ok!
Have a good holiday Pudweena - they might still be here when you get back!!!
Thank you mops, if I can tear myself away from the computer to finish packing! They are still in the box a bit later this evening. Lots of preening, wing stretching a while ago, they surely need a good fly around.
Both out, both hissing, all is well.
Nothing in box this morning - now 9.40 a.m. - they were both there at 6.45 p.m. last night both fast asleep!!! Were they building up strength for their flight away from box?
One owl in the box. Some clattering in the background.
Stayed at Arne until 7-15pm last night..no show from the Barn Owls..They knew I was there waiting..:-)
Capturing the Light with an original perspective displayed in every Photograph..perhaps
Looks as though it is down to one then Dom!! What a shame you didn't see anything nikon4Pete - trouble is you can spend hours waiting!!!!