Barn Owl Update

[annekat]

This is a good time to to look at the Barn Owl web cam: Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (http://www.haywardrec.org/sc_owl_cam.html)

The babies are so big that Mama can't possibly hide them anymore... and they aren't pretty, but they will be later. I think its possible some may have died. Earlier this morning, I could see two really big ones and two smaller ones. There's quite a range of sizes according to order of hatching.

The eagles are doing well, there are still three babies. The red-tailed hawks and herons still don't have any hatched eggs, last time I looked.

[Sangye]

Baby eagles are HUGE! Mama owl is sitting right in front of the camera right now. *poke poke*

[annekat]

Baby eagles are HUGE! Mama owl is sitting right in front of the camera right now. *poke poke* Well, if you don't get a look at the owl babies today, make sure you do tomorrow when the light is still good... they are really impressive! And yes, the eagle babies are looking good. And to think we still have two more nests of babies to watch!

[annekat]

Oh, man, I just looked at the eagles again and they look like they've grown since this morning! Must be the camera angle and they are closer to it. But they do look bigger than I thought!

[mishb]

The owls are so big/tall and I agree with you Anne......they are not very pretty.
It's amazing (with all of the bird cams we are watching) that they can get so big in such a short time.
.......and boy can they eat

[annekat]

The owls are so big/tall and I agree with you Anne......they are not very pretty.
It's amazing (with all of the bird cams we are watching) that they can get so big in such a short time.
.......and boy can they eat Well, just look at their beautiful mother... they look like little monsters now, but they will look like her eventually!

[Sangye]

LOL Little monsters. That cracked me up. :laugh:

[Al]

Well, as always, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Certainly, these are "little monsters" that a mother, at least, can love. I do find a certain aesthetic quality in each stage of their development, though I don't have to feed and preen them, which looks like a huge amount of work!

Al

[annekat]

Mama is currently out of the nest so the pile of babies is visible... some may be out of range of the camera. I see one GIANT one, two good-sized ones, and one really little one struggling to have a presence amid his older siblings.

[Sangye]

Major close up of the baby eagles right now. They're going through a bit of an ugly phase!

Mama is feeding them a dead baby bird. The camera guy zoomed in to make sure we saw what it was. Poor little thing

[annekat]

Yeah, I caught the close-ups just before I had to leave for work. Missed the dead baby bird.... Yes, the eaglets are looking more eagle-y, getting some interesting markings, not quite as ugly as the owlets, though. But the owlets' white fuzz is pretty appealing despite their faces!

[Sangye]

Oh yeah, I just got a look at the baby owls. Whew. Those are some ugly little birds! :biggrin1:

[annekat]

Oh yeah, I just got a look at the baby owls. Whew. Those are some ugly little birds! :biggrin1:
I'm glad you finally got to see them. Ugly ducklings turn into swans! :smile1:

[Al]

I'm glad you finally got to see them. Ugly ducklings turn into swans! :smile1:Yes, Anne, but these are neither. From the Mama Owl's point of view, they are beautiful babies--if a nuisance to feed....

Al

[annekat]

Yes, Anne, but these are neither. From the Mama Owl's point of view, they are beautiful babies--if a nuisance to feed....

Al It was a metaphor (I think). I don't think baby swans are actually called ducklings, though I can't think what they are called. I actually think the baby owls are quite fascinating in appearance. It's interesting that something that looks like that will eventually become an adult barn owl. I'm sure Mama would be appalled to think that I think she is so much more beautiful than her children.

[Al]

It was a metaphor (I think). I don't think baby swans are actually called ducklings, though I can't think what they are called. I actually think the baby owls are quite fascinating in appearance. It's interesting that something that looks like that will eventually become an adult barn owl. I'm sure Mama would be appalled to think that I think she is so much more beautiful than her children.Juvenile swans are called cygnets, if I remember correctly, Anne. Don't know much about avian aesthetics, but I am guessing that Mama owls don't give a hoot one way or another how you and I feel about their babies...!

Al

[annekat]

Juvenile swans are called cygnets, if I remember correctly, Anne. Don't know much about avian aesthetics, but I am guessing that Mama owls don't give a hoot one way or another how you and I feel about their babies...!

Al "Cygnets" entered my mind, but I wasn't sure it might not be too big a word for a baby creature.... however, I think you are right. As for Mama Owl, I might add that she wouldn't think WE were pretty at all (if indeed we are). I think the main point of my comments was that we are lucky enough to get to watch those funny-looking little fluffballs develop into something as beautiful and grand as the parent owls. Although I realize they will be kicked out of the nest before they reach full adulthood.

[annekat]

If anyone is on right now, check out the owls! Mama is gone from the nest, and you can see their range of development from oldest to youngest. Sadly, I think there are only 4 left out of the original 6. The biggest one is actually starting to look pretty.

[Sangye]

Omigosh, just looked. Both parents are out of the nest and there is one ghastly face looking right at the camera. LOL

[annekat]

Omigosh, just looked. Both parents are out of the nest and there is one ghastly face looking right at the camera. LOL Mama's been out of the nest a long time! Right now, the chicks are mostly snoozing, and any faces showing are looking their most ghoulish. It was interesting earlier when they were all standing up.

[Sangye]

I'm on Twitter right now having a hysterical conversation about how hideous these babies are.

[Sangye]

Whoa, big huge owl baby moved and there was a VERY tiny, immature baby under it.

[annekat]

Whoa, big huge owl baby moved and there was a VERY tiny, immature baby under it. Hmm, I was just looking and I only saw 3, so I guess the little one is back under a big one.

[annekat]

I'm on Twitter right now having a hysterical conversation about how hideous these babies are. That's funny! Al doesn't seem to like us calling them ugly, but we are going to persist! I don't think they will be ugly indefinitely. To me, the bigger ones are already starting to get better looking, compared to the littler ones.

[annekat]

The eagles are cute right now. They look like a pile of animal pelts arranged neatly around the mother as they sleep, and one suddenly popped his head up and looked around.

[Sangye]

Hmm, I was just looking and I only saw 3, so I guess the little one is back under a big one.
It's in the far left corner. Looks like it was only hatched a few days ago, no feathers yet.

[Sangye]

That's funny! Al doesn't seem to like us calling them ugly, but we are going to persist! I don't think they will be ugly indefinitely. To me, the bigger ones are already starting to get better looking, compared to the littler ones.
Yes, definitely. But still ghastly. They look like they're wearing gas masks. LOL

[pberggren1]

Yes, definitely. But still ghastly. They look like they're wearing gas masks. LOL

It does look that way doesn't it?.......lol.

[annekat]

Yes, definitely. But still ghastly. They look like they're wearing gas masks. LOLGas masks! Cracked me up! Weird about the really little one with no feathers.... the last egg was supposed to have hatched on the 6th, two weeks ago. I'm waiting for the next update from the site to maybe tell us what happened to some of the chicks.... right now the cam doesn't seem to be working for me.

[Sangye]

The ghastly chicks broke the camera! LOL I always thought that was just a joke.

[annekat]

The ghastly chicks broke the camera! LOL I always thought that was just a joke. It was broken this morning, too. I was worried because Mama was gone so long last night, and then the camera broke. I hope she is OK. Maybe her ghastly chicks scared her off!

[Sangye]

Yeah, she was still gone when I went to bed last night. That seems odd. The babies were looking pretty hungry, sitting there with their beaks open.

[annekat]

And Dad should be around somewhere, too, with food to bring in....

[Sangye]

The largest owl baby is looking significantly less ghastly today.

[annekat]

It's funny how Mom is still trying to sit on all of them. I can definitely see four right now and wonder if there is still a puny, featherless one hiding in there somewhere.

[Sangye]

Yeah, she just will not get out of that far left corner where I saw the tiny one.

Meanwhile, the eagle babies have developed the habit of sitting right at the edge of the nest and scaring me half to death all day. (One of them was even resting his head on the edge, looking over!) The eagles all look hot today-- parents and babies are holding their wings out and panting.

[Sangye]

I just saw the mama eagle do something odd. She spread her wings all the way and bent her head back, then started making clucking sounds and a series of chirps that sounded exactly like a dolphin. Made me think of the old show "Flipper." LOL

And just now one of the eagle babies did a big poop. It leaned all the way forward with its butt in the air and then "zoing!" shot it out horizontally, out beyond the nest! Sure glad my cockatiel doesn't poop like that!

[Sangye]

Well both parents were in the nest and doing the odd chirping thing. I wonder if they were chasing away a predator.

Right now the baby eagles are eating a fish on their own. As they approached it, the mother made a big point of going to the other side of the nest, as if to say "Time for you kids to learn how to make your own dinner!" They stared at it for a bit and then started taking bites.

[annekat]

I saw the eaglets all at the edge of the nest, too, and figured it must be a hot day and that's why they weren't huddling together.

I've also been watching the Red Tailed Hawks at Cornell Labs and apparently two babies have hatched! Here is the link for that again:
Red-tailed Hawk Nest - live streaming video powered by Livestream (http://www.livestream.com/cornellhawks) . I haven't got a good look at the chicks yet. There is a good chat alongside the video keeping us up to date, and they say the 3rd egg has "pipped". The mama is very beautiful. Right now they are showing the surrounding neighborhood but usually it's just a close up of the nest.

[annekat]

Here is a link showing some photos of the hawk nest including a couple glimpses of the new chicks! https://plus.google.com/photos/105543345809432795138/albums/5734335156166500929

[Al]

It's funny how Mom is still trying to sit on all of them.... Mothers of all stripes are sometimes like this, Anne! Comes with the territory....

Al

[Al]

Well both parents were in the nest and doing the odd chirping thing. I wonder if they were chasing away a predator.

Right now the baby eagles are eating a fish on their own. As they approached it, the mother made a big point of going to the other side of the nest, as if to say "Time for you kids to learn how to make your own dinner!" They stared at it for a bit and then started taking bites. Mothers of all stripes also want to make sure the kids can do better in the kitchen than make ramen, iron their own shirts, and so on before leaving home! I think you are right about the possible predator--which we wouldn't see, since the camera angle isn't wide. However, it might also be a part of vocal training of little eagles. Actually, it could be both.

Al

[Al]

Here is a link showing some photos of the hawk nest including a couple glimpses of the new chicks! https://plus.google.com/photos/105543345809432795138/albums/5734335156166500929To my human eyes, these are beautiful birds, even in infancy.

Al

[annekat]

When I saw the dead fish, it was lying there with a bunch of little eaglet beak puncture holes in it. Interesting how Mama picked an animal that might be a bit easier to get into than something with thick skin, fur, or feathers.

[annekat]

To my human eyes, these are beautiful birds, even in infancy.

Al I agree, Al; from what I saw of the babies, they are very beautiful and already have hawk-shaped heads so shouldn't have to go through as big of a transformation as the owlets do. From our visual point of view, that is.

[Sangye]

Thanks for the link to the red-tailed hawk nest, Anne. And the pics of them are just gorgeous. That's one of my favorite birds.

[annekat]

Thanks for the link to the red-tailed hawk nest, Anne. And the pics of them are just gorgeous. That's one of my favorite birds. You're welcome, and remember, it was you who originally shared the link, way back there somewhere. But not a whole lot was happening then, so I thought I'd let people know when the babies started hatching. And we still have the Great Blue Heron nest coming up, too! They haven't hatched yet, but it should be spectacular when they do, as they are probably in the nicest natural setting of any we've seen yet. :smile1:

[pberggren1]

I just saw the mama eagle do something odd. She spread her wings all the way and bent her head back, then started making clucking sounds and a series of chirps that sounded exactly like a dolphin. Made me think of the old show "Flipper." LOL

And just now one of the eagle babies did a big poop. It leaned all the way forward with its butt in the air and then "zoing!" shot it out horizontally, out beyond the nest! Sure glad my cockatiel doesn't poop like that!

This made me laugh hard......maybe too hard because I swallowed a chunk.....lol.

Thanks a lot Sangye........:wink1:

[Sangye]

Lots happening in the Red-tail nest this morning. The older chick is pecking at the younger one. The Cornell guy on the chatstream says it's not aggressive, but just normal, uncoordinated pecking at possible food. The chick was really going at it, though. Knocked the other one down and kept going. I guess it's like puppies wrestling with each other. There's a dead baby bird in the nest but it must have been brought in-- feet are a different color than the red-tails. A third egg is still unhatched.

[annekat]

I just saw two of the eaglets sparring a little, and then starting to groom each other.... reminded me of cats. The owlets are currently alone in their nest. Checked the heron nest and the Mama moved long enough for me to see 5 eggs, but still no chicks.

[Sangye]

Look at the owl nest right now. Two HUGE chicks towering over a tiny one

[Sangye]

This is also the first time I've seen the owl babies standing fully on their feet. Up until now, all the babies have been sitting on their butts and just scooting around on their feet.

[annekat]

Look at the owl nest right now. Two HUGE chicks towering over a tiny one Wow. That biggest one will soon be the size of its mother!

[Sangye]

Seriously. Isn't it amazing? I saw the puny one a few minutes ago. It's covered in fuzz now but still so tiny. It crawled back into the corner to snuggle under the other ones.

[Sangye]

Maybe our barn owls will grow up to be like this one!
Animal Tracks - Magical mates: Owl hitches a ride on dog's back (http://animaltracks.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/27/11431292-magical-mates-owl-hitches-a-ride-on-dogs-back?lite)

[Al]

Drat. I haven't had any success with the vido feed the last couple of days....

Al

[annekat]

Drat. I haven't had any success with the vido feed the last couple of days....

Al It seems to come and go... was working in the late afternoon when I got home but then stopped and has been out since.

[mishb]

The baby owls are starting to look like those things that ran around with Witchiepoo on HR Pufnstuf
....... I can't remember what they were called, the vulture things (ahhh, childhood memories)

[annekat]

Just checked the great blue heron nest at Cornell Labs, and three chicks have hatched out of 4 or 5, I think. Here is a link of someone's pics of the chicks being fed: 4 29 12 am feeding - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/35375916@N07/sets/72157629559740670/with/7124055051/) But they are tiny balls of fluff, and it's hard to see any features.

The chat said there was an owl attack last night and Papa Heron fended it off.

[Al]

I got the camera feed today. Those little owls are really growing up!

Al

[drz]

Besides enjoying the live feeds on the internet I have enjoyed watching the mama duck sitting on her eggs in window well in another part of our building. The diamond doves in the aviary in the nursing home section have also hatched two babies this spring. So have some of the finches. The babies all seem to grow up so fast but the busy parents seem to deserve awards for their diligence and non stop efforts to keep the babies feed.

I am still waiting for the humming birds to show up at my feeders. The house finches like the grape jelly but no orioles yet? the egrets and geese are also busy on their nests at near by park. Spring bird watching is great time.

[annekat]

Every time I look at the barn owls, I seem to see fewer of them. Today I've only seen three. There could be some small ones hiding behind or under the big ones, but I have a hunch at least one or two of them have been killed off. A couple days ago I saw what could have been the remains of one, though it could have been some other bird. But other than that, the visible surviving ones are huge and looking healthy!

[drz]

Every time I look at the barn owls, I seem to see fewer of them. Today I've only seen three. There could be some small ones hiding behind or under the big ones, but I have a hunch at least one or two of them have been killed off. A couple days ago I saw what could have been the remains of one, though it could have been some other bird. But other than that, the visible surviving ones are huge and looking healthy!

It is probably a good thing that we don't witness the fratricide when this happens. i hate thinking about the stats that most likely one or two of the baby eagles also won't survive to adulthood due to predators or death from falling out of nest when they start jockeying for position before they can fly. But then we have seen the eagles feasting on what seemed to be a small heron like bird. I prefer to see them eating the trout instead. i wonder how far they fly searching for food.

[pberggren1]

When we lived at the farm we had orioles....very nice birds. And we had some finches as well and some robins and many other birds. I am not sure if we had cardinals though.

[Al]

It is probably a good thing that we don't witness the fratricide when this happens. i hate thinking about the stats that most likely one or two of the baby eagles also won't survive to adulthood due to predators or death from falling out of nest when they start jockeying for position before they can fly. But then we have seen the eagles feasting on what seemed to be a small heron like bird. I prefer to see them eating the trout instead. i wonder how far they fly searching for food.It is rare that eagles kill other birds--they are not all that nimble on the wing, and too heavy to raid nests. They do have talons, but they are better scavengers than hunters. Fratricide is common among birds, as the competition for parent-delivered food is ferocious. I, too, am glad that is is unusual to witness this directly; it offends my human sensitivities. But there you go: Who asked me...?

Al

[Sangye]

Al, I've seen a lot of bird corpses in the eagle nest. Mostly babies, I think.

[drz]

Al, I've seen a lot of bird corpses in the eagle nest. Mostly babies, I think.

Eagles could and do take baby birds that aren't so nimble and able to evade them. I much rather see them take fish but dead fish are harder to find. Sometimes they can steal one from an osprey which are more adept fisherbirds.

[drz]

A 3 1/2 time video of robin family from eggs to empty nest.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9479342&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

[Al]

Al, I've seen a lot of bird corpses in the eagle nest. Mostly babies, I think.It does happen. Mostly, I think, with birds that are large enough so have substantial nests, but not so large as to be a threat to the eagle. A smarter bird might figure a way to shake the baby birds out of their nest before they can fly. I one saw an eagle give chase to a robin-size bird, but was no match in maneuverability. Locally, the main victims of eagle predation seem to be rabbits (and, of course, salmon) but there are several farms that keep sheep. They have to watch carefully during lambing season.

Al

[Sangye]

This morning the baby eagles gave me a fright. One was laying on its side with its leg stretched out for quite awhile. It flapped its wing and generally looked like the leg was broken or something. One of its siblings came over and put some nesting materials on top of the leg. After a few minutes, I noticed one of the other babies was laying in the same position. Then it got up on its feet-- the first time I'd seen it stand fully upright like an adult. It shot one of those high-velocity horizontal poops out of the nest, which cracks me up every time I see it.

After I continued watching, I realized they're stretching their legs out to strengthen them so they can stand. Duh! I'm a first-time bald eagle mom, so I guess it's natural to panic. :biggrin1:

[annekat]

A 3 1/2 time video of robin family from eggs to empty nest.

Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9479342&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1) drz, that was absolutely outstanding! Beautiful to watch and listen to, complete with Louis Armstrong! I will share it on Facebook.

[annekat]

It shot one of those high-velocity horizontal poops out of the nest, which cracks me up every time I see it.

I witnessed one of the horizontal poops the other day! Yes, very amusing. And I'm glad you figured out what is going on with their legs.

[annekat]

Fratricide is common among birds, as the competition for parent-delivered food is ferocious. I, too, am glad that is is unusual to witness this directly; it offends my human sensitivities. But there you go: Who asked me...?

Al I'm quite sure there's been fratricide in the barn owls' nest. I hope it occurred when the camera was down and no one had to see it. How could there not be, with the size of the remaining owlets? They are HUGE.

[annekat]

Red-tailed Hawk Nest - live streaming video powered by Livestream (http://www.livestream.com/cornellhawks)
Get a good look at the baby hawks right now!

[annekat]

Cornell Herons (http://www.flickr.com/photos/35496943@N08/sets/72157629512990142/show/)
Really great, LONG slideshow of the herons, eggs, and chicks.... you have the option to jump forward in the series.

[Al]

Red-tailed Hawk Nest - live streaming video powered by Livestream (http://www.livestream.com/cornellhawks)
Get a good look at the baby hawks right now!Beautiful birds, Anne--so long as you aren't one of their prey!

Al

[Al]

Cornell Herons (http://www.flickr.com/photos/35496943@N08/sets/72157629512990142/show/)
Really great, LONG slideshow of the herons, eggs, and chicks.... you have the option to jump forward in the series.This is really excellent, and with truly fine photography. It also shows Sapsucker Pond in good form. I love how the chicks look like some kind of Muppets!

Al

[annekat]

Beautiful birds, Anne--so long as you aren't one of their prey!

Al Yep, that's why we can enjoy the beauty of any of these birds we're watching.... we are too big for them to prey upon!

[annekat]

This is really excellent, and with truly fine photography. It also shows Sapsucker Pond in good form. I love how the chicks look like some kind of Muppets!

Al I've thought of Big Bird a couple of times while looking at these and the owlets.

[Sangye]

ROTFL I had the eagle cam on for a whopping 10 seconds this morning and one of the babies shot a horizontal poop. They know I'm watching! :lol:

[Sangye]

It's been kind of a disgusting morning watching the cams. In the barn owl nest, the largest baby was tossing around a corpse that looked like a dried up mouse. He was taking bites every so often. In the red-tailed hawk nest, a viewer noted that there is "1/3 pigeon, 1/2 bunny and a whole chipmunk." All clearly visible. I'm having flashbacks to all the Wild Kingdom shows I watched as a kid, where they'd let you fall in love with a beautiful baby zebra before showing a lion chasing it down and killing it.

[annekat]

It's been kind of a disgusting morning watching the cams. In the barn owl nest, the largest baby was tossing around a corpse that looked like a dried up mouse. He was taking bites every so often. In the red-tailed hawk nest, a viewer noted that there is "1/3 pigeon, 1/2 bunny and a whole chipmunk." All clearly visible. I'm having flashbacks to all the Wild Kingdom shows I watched as a kid, where they'd let you fall in love with a beautiful baby zebra before showing a lion chasing it down and killing it. I guess I'm glad I've been gone all day! I'll check in on them tomorrow morning, I think.

[Al]

It's been kind of a disgusting morning watching the cams. In the barn owl nest, the largest baby was tossing around a corpse that looked like a dried up mouse. He was taking bites every so often. In the red-tailed hawk nest, a viewer noted that there is "1/3 pigeon, 1/2 bunny and a whole chipmunk." All clearly visible. I'm having flashbacks to all the Wild Kingdom shows I watched as a kid, where they'd let you fall in love with a beautiful baby zebra before showing a lion chasing it down and killing it.Ah, the old "theodicy problem", that drives philosophers up the wall and chases some, like Charles Darwin, away from a career in the cloth. Framing it as a non-religious question, the issue is: Why do bad things happen in what should be a perfect world? Why, that is to ask, does a world that should be beautiful in all ways also allow unspeakably cruel things to happen? I can think of no "satisfying" answer other than to back off and say that it all depends on one's perspective. I call this the "for-all-the-yowling-there-is -no-shortage-of-kittens explanation: The pains of Tom and Thomasina Cat individually means not a whit, if your interest is in providing the world with more cats. Howbeit, please note that, while this might provide some intellectual comfort, I also have my parochial sense of aesthetics, and can't quite buy into that view emotionally. I always root for the zebra.

Al

[drz]

Yesterday was good day for my bird watching on a short walk to lake a block away and around my building. The baby diamond dove has only some feathers on its wings but is learning to feed on seed in the aviary cage. Mamma duck is still sitting on her eggs in the window well but the geese hatched 8 goslings on the island in the small lake and had their fuzz balls swimming around the lake between mamma and pappa. For the first time I saw a pelican on the small lake. Strange since I doubt there are any fish in it. There were also a half dozen small herons (green ones) sitting the threes along with the two hundred plus white egrets that roost there. It was a beautiful even to walk around and even with my very limited hearing i could enjoy the robins singing.

[annekat]

It was a beautiful even to walk around and even with my very limited hearing i could enjoy the robins singing.
It sure makes a difference this year now having 2 good hearing aids, as opposed to only one or none last spring. I can hear the birds quite well now. I'm glad you can hear them well enough to enjoy them, but wish it was even better!

[Sangye]

The baby eagles are huge. The eldest is practicing flapping its wings and stretching them. It also has the beginnings of tail feathers! The wingspan is impressive.

[Debbie C]

I looked at the baby owls for the first time in awhile and the ones face I could see looked deformed..it had a face only a mother could love. I don't know what the others looked like ,they had there back towards the camers. When I checked in on the eagles it was like the camera had been moved ..it was more of a distant view...couldn't really see in the nest. And I haven't been back to Africa,is that still up and running?

[Sangye]

The baby owls are just ghastly. LOL They went through a slightly-less-than-ghastly stage last week but that didn't last. They all look the same, so if they're turning around to face the camera, brace yourself.

The eagle cam does a general scan of the area every morning. It goes on for a few minutes. I don't like to watch it because it worsens the vertigo. It does give you a good idea of how high up the nest is, though.

[Al]

This isn't about bard owls, and there are no videos. But this is an interesting article for armchair birders (and, I suspect, most weggies are relatively skilled in some armchair mode...! At least, I am....

Migratory birds: They bring the songs of spring | Local News | The Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018136563_migrants04m.html?cmpid=2628)

Al

[Rose]

Check this site out. 3 live streaming cameras covering 3 waterholes and it has the option to view all waterholes at the same time. The fourth camera was recently set up to film a young female cheetah giving birth to 3 cubs and this happened on May 2nd live!! The plan is to constantly monitor the cubs and watch them grow. Enjoy!!!

Africam | A Live 24x7 Interactive African Wildlife Safari (http://www.africam.com/wildlife/index.php)

[drz]

The baby owls are just ghastly. LOL They went through a slightly-less-than-ghastly stage last week but that didn't last. They all look the same, so if they're turning around to face the camera, brace yourself.

The eagle cam does a general scan of the area every morning. It goes on for a few minutes. I don't like to watch it because it worsens the vertigo. It does give you a good idea of how high up the nest is, though.

What amazed me about seeing the surrounding area was how close the nest is the farm and roads nearby but then tall trees in Iowa are hard to find so it is probably the eagles best option for that area. They sure seem to be growing fast.

[jola57]

We have couple of white owls by our house and they serenade us just before sleep. I recorded the sound and will try to see if I can upload a wav file and post it. They make the most incredible sounds not just a hoot

[pberggren1]

I'm sure it will be a hoot....lol.

[annekat]

We have couple of white owls by our house and they serenade us just before sleep. I recorded the sound and will try to see if I can upload a wav file and post it. They make the most incredible sounds not just a hoot Jola, I have had barred owls nesting near my house, not this year, but other years.... and the way I found out what they were is by looking in a bird book, where they described their call as sounding like this: "Who cooks for you.. who cooks for you-all?". That is what it sounded like! You are a ways north of me and could have that owl or some other owl.

[annekat]

This isn't about bard owls, and there are no videos. But this is an interesting article for armchair birders (and, I suspect, most weggies are relatively skilled in some armchair mode...! At least, I am....

Migratory birds: They bring the songs of spring | Local News | The Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018136563_migrants04m.html?cmpid=2628)

Al Nice article, Al. I'm glad they mentioned the Swainson's Thrush. It is my favorite bird song around here, and starts right about now... I think I heard one a couple of days ago. When I lived in the Central Valley of California, I found the mockingbird songs to be equally enchanting, though they might keep one awake at night....

[annekat]

Check this site out. 3 live streaming cameras covering 3 waterholes and it has the option to view all waterholes at the same time. The fourth camera was recently set up to film a young female cheetah giving birth to 3 cubs and this happened on May 2nd live!! The plan is to constantly monitor the cubs and watch them grow. Enjoy!!!

Africam | A Live 24x7 Interactive African Wildlife Safari (http://www.africam.com/wildlife/index.php) This sounds great, Rose! Maybe it is dark in Africa right now, because I can't seem to get anything, but I'll try again tomorrow!

[Al]

Check this site out. 3 live streaming cameras covering 3 waterholes and it has the option to view all waterholes at the same time. The fourth camera was recently set up to film a young female cheetah giving birth to 3 cubs and this happened on May 2nd live!! The plan is to constantly monitor the cubs and watch them grow. Enjoy!!!

Africam | A Live 24x7 Interactive African Wildlife Safari (http://www.africam.com/wildlife/index.php)I'll look at a better time, Rose. Thanks for this!

Al

[Al]

....I'm glad they mentioned the Swainson's Thrush. It is my favorite bird song around here, and starts right about now....A terrific bird, Anne....

Al

[pberggren1]

Anne, are barred owls similar to jailed owls?.......lol.

[annekat]

Anne, are barred owls similar to jailed owls?.......lol.Ha, ha... actually, I think they are similar to the famous Spotted Owls that there's been so much controversy about with the logging industry, etc. ...... not absolutely sure about that, though.
I do know they are quite large.... not quite as large as a Great Horned Owl, but large enough to carry off small pets, according to the research I did a couple years ago.

[annekat]

Rose, I just saw the beautiful mother cheetah and her adorable cubs! The barn owl cam has been down for what seems like a couple of days.... wonder what those little gremlins have been up to?

[Rose]

This sounds great, Rose! Maybe it is dark in Africa right now, because I can't seem to get anything, but I'll try again tomorrow!

Late evening on the west coast of the USA would be a good time to view the waterholes. South Africa is 9 hours ahead and sun rise is about 6.30am at the moment as we are going into winter. There were some lions at one of the waterholes about 10pm last night and you could see them quite well with the night vision cameras.

[Sangye]

I have 2 hypotheses for the barn owl cam being broken for several days. Either the ghastliness of the babies actually broke it or the babies themselves took it out of commission because they got tired of me calling them ghastly. LOL My friends and I on Twitter have had some pretty hilarious conversations about the babies.

[Sangye]

I hope this link works!

Baby eagle returned to nest - Video on msnbc.com (http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nbc-news/47327179/#47327179)

[annekat]

Since we are talking about predators and prey, here's a pretty good video I was just emailed of an osprey catching fish, preceded by an explanation of their technique and why they are so good at it. I noticed the fish in the second sequence is a flounder.



Subject: INCREDIBLE PREDATOR * THE OSPREY!

You might wonder why the Osprey never drops a slippery or heavy fish. (Unless threated by an eagle) They have four toes, but one is reversible so two can be forward and two backward. They also have small protrusions on the talons that function almost like fish hooks. Ospreys will always change the position of the fish caught so it is facing forward and more aerodynamic. Quite a bird. Uniquely designed for catching fish. When they dive into deep water their eyelids automatically close a clear membrane and they can see underwater.I've never seen a bird shake water off like a dog does - wouldn't want to get in the way of him when he's got his eyes locked and his talons in the "load" position!

There are 3 sequences in this one video:

1st sequence he catches half a dozen fish in one strike.

2nd sequence he plunges talons into deep water right to the bottom to
grab his prey.

3rd sequence he captures a big old fat fish that looks as if it weighs
more than he does! And he looks like he is surfing on it.

This is incredible to watch (best viewed in full screen mode)...enjoy!

Osprey -- the ultimate fisher - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/embed/nA3LtXnNIto?feature=player_embedded)

[annekat]

I hope this link works!

Baby eagle returned to nest - Video on msnbc.com (http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nbc-news/47327179/#47327179) Yes, it worked! :smile1:

[annekat]

I have 2 hypotheses for the barn owl cam being broken for several days. Either the ghastliness of the babies actually broke it or the babies themselves took it out of commission because they got tired of me calling them ghastly. LOL My friends and I on Twitter have had some pretty hilarious conversations about the babies. I was thinking of similar hypotheses, and that maybe they did something so ghastly that the camera people didn't want us to see it! But last time I was there, I noticed a message above the screen that said the camera is undergoing maintenance and we should check back tomorrow, Tues. May 8th.

[Sangye]

Wow! That osprey footage is incredible. I've never seen a bird shake off water in flight like that.

[Al]

Since we are talking about predators and prey, here's a pretty good video I was just emailed of an osprey catching fish, preceded by an explanation of their technique and why they are so good at it. I noticed the fish in the second sequence is a flounder.



Subject: INCREDIBLE PREDATOR * THE OSPREY!....


This is really good, Anne!

[annekat]

I see that the owlets are back on, in all their ghastly glory! I see the beginnings of tail feathers, which I also noticed, more prominently, in the baby eagles.

[drz]

Since we are talking about predators and prey, here's a pretty good video I



Osprey -- the ultimate fisher - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/embed/nA3LtXnNIto?feature=player_embedded)













I have seen this one several times before but it still amazes me. Those birds are amazing fish catchers. The scenery in that area is also spectacular.

[drz]

I see that the owlets are back on, in all their ghastly glory! I see the beginnings of tail feathers, which I also noticed, more prominently, in the baby eagles.

I check the baby diamond dove every day and it seems as if it grows another feather or two every day but is still half bare with no feathers in much of its body. The mamma duck is always sitting on her nest but sometimes she is in a different position so she must rotate the eggs or take a short break once in a while.

[annekat]

I have seen this one several times before but it still amazes me. Those birds are amazing fish catchers. The scenery in that area is also spectacular. Do you happen to know where this video was taken? I thought it could be the Pacific Northwest, but I'm sure there are other places it could be.

[drz]

Do you happen to know where this video was taken? I thought it could be the Pacific Northwest, but I'm sure there are other places it could be.

From the mountains and snow and fish caught in the video i would guess Alaska or near by bordering Canada. Be a great place for camping and fishing trip, wouldn't it?

[annekat]

From the mountains and snow and fish caught in the video i would guess Alaska or near by bordering Canada. Be a great place for camping and fishing trip, wouldn't it? The flounder caught by the osprey reminded me of the San Juan Islands in far northern Washington state, because my dad once did research on flounders at the UW marine labs there. Those could be the Olympic Mountains. The San Juans are right by Vancouver Island, BC. But your guess is as good as mine!

[Al]

The flounder caught by the osprey reminded me of the San Juan Islands in far northern Washington state, because my dad once did research on flounders at the UW marine labs there. Those could be the Olympic Mountains. The San Juans are right by Vancouver Island, BC. But your guess is as good as mine!There are plenty of ospreys in the islands on both the US and the Canadian sides. Hard to tell where the filming was, but I noticed it was from BBC. Good photography in any case. I loved watching the osprey shake the water off, doggie-style, while still holding onto the fish.

Al

[annekat]

Good view of the heron chicks right now.... boy, are they cute! If you need to search, they are at Cornell Lab.

[Sangye]

Just checked in with the barn owls. They've sure grown up a lot. The eldest is looking much more like an adult-- less ghastly, unless you look closely!

[annekat]

Just checked in with the barn owls. They've sure grown up a lot. The eldest is looking much more like an adult-- less ghastly, unless you look closely! They've looked pretty ghastly to me, lately, but I guess it does depend on the angle, the lighting, etc. Haven't checked on them since this morning.

[Sangye]

LOL They're still ghastly. It isn't helped by the fact that I have that sort of mythological/ primal fear of owls. Not a real big fear, just a discomfort looking at them for too long. Like if I stare at the picture of the adult barn owl on the page I'm gonna have nightmares. And I don't like the weird way the barn owl babies move-- that bobbing and weaving thing gives me the creeps.

[annekat]

LOL They're still ghastly. It isn't helped by the fact that I have that sort of mythological/ primal fear of owls. Not a real big fear, just a discomfort looking at them for too long. Like if I stare at the picture of the adult barn owl on the page I'm gonna have nightmares. And I don't like the weird way the barn owl babies move-- that bobbing and weaving thing gives me the creeps. I know what you mean. I guess that's why owls are featured on Halloween. That side-to-side bobbing thing I observed up close once; I could see into a barn owl nest accessed by stairs, and there were three owlets in there doing that while staring at me and hissing. I think they were younger and not quite as ghastly. But I got out of there pretty fast.

[Sangye]

ROTFL Yeah, I'd be heading for the door, too. Just your description of them hissing made me squirm!

[Hammy8241]

For those who are interesed, I took three photos of the British Barn Owl yesterday whilst at the Hawk Conservancy Trust, Andover UK.
DSC_6113 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hammy8241/7190595976/in/photostream)

[Sangye]

Oh yeah, just as creepy as the American Barn Owl. LOL

Nice to see you, Hammy!

[annekat]

I found a pic of barn owl babies a little older than ours, starting to look more like barn owls:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Owlets.jpg/220px-Owlets.jpg
Also, Wikipedia has some pretty comprehensive info on them, which I didn't read but scanned.

[Sangye]

Oh yikes. Photo of the kids: Creepy #1, Creepy #2, Creepy #3, Creepy #4 and Creepy #5.