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!
Oh, all these lucky people - lunchtime???!!! P'raps I should just come along and sit around all day long and evening.
Obviously not been taught crepuscular - is this a worry for them to be out in the middle of the day?
All quiet and empty box.
Not really as long as they don't make a habit of it, perhaps it was out looking for food because it is still learning to hunt?
Am still extremely upset hub saw one early this morning and I didn't go! Empty box again and only one hissing sound at the moment.
I note the last confirmed sighting of 2 in the box was 16 Aug, nearly a week ago, and just the sound of 2 hissing on 17 Aug so maybe another has flown away and we are left with one now.
PS. Thanks for comment yesterday Michael, that was a very late post!
Empty box and all silent.
11.40 a.m. one back in the box!!!!!!!
That's brilliant mops, I haven't had computer on in daytime lately and not seen one at all in the box for a while.
However, am so lucky, have just been watching young Barn Owl at Arne for nearly an hour!!! (well, presumably the young one as seemingly not very successful hunting and out rather early, first spotted at 7.10pm). Just the best ever evening, can't believe it, I can't even think of enough words to describe it (and that's extremely unusual for me!)
PS. I know the photos are poor quality but just had to put a couple up and they are still better than Pete's :-)
Yes Pudweena you are the lucky one able to actually go to Arne and see the Barn Owls in real life!!! I have sat at our local hide for many an hour waiting to catch a glimpse but to no avail!!!!! Have been lucky to feed the red squirrels tho!!! I am also watching the live webcam at The Lost Gardens of Heligan which is an outside the box view - quite interesting because most nights two owlets bring food in and start to eat on the top of the box and then fly off elsewhere to finish it!!!!!
Webcam has been down all morning!!!