The last three days have been steady and calm in the owl box. The female has stayed with her eggs almost constantly; the male visits in the evenings, still mating, bringing in food. The female seems to call to the male intermittently, just at night. The clicking sounds I've heard the owls make when flying near each other do not seem to be used around the box.
Last year ants invaded the nest and I've taken steps to keep them away from the box- none are visible this year so far. Bees are swarming elsewhere in the La Mesa area ( is this the time when new hives are formed?), but fortunately they don't seem interested in the owl box now.
Thank you for broadcasting again, Dr Bob. Betty is adorable and we're hoping for 3 healthy owlets this year.
ReplyDeleteGlad to be involved with this remarkable life cycle!
DeleteWe had so much fun last season watching the entire process that we were eager to see what this year would bring. Curiously the pair of owls appeared later than last year by several weeks- and we wonder if that is common. Our outside camera is down for the moment but we do see the male visually perching on the roof of the box at night and visiting the female. The inside camera is functioning well and I'll continue to post photos here as developments occur. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteInteresting. When I started watching some of the California owl boxes in 2011, most of them started laying in January. This year, I see the same boxes started laying in Feb/March/April. Must be some difference in prey availability/weather patterns.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if local temperatures and rainfall influences the breeding cycle. Some years we are overrun with rabbits, this year not as numerous as last, and of course they seem to be a prime food source.
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