Len Pick Trust Owl Project

Yesterday’s down time with camera was, we believe, due to a power cut in the locality. Happily, the camera feed came back after the power was restored without the necessity of any work to the camera and feed being required for, as you can see, at least one of the owls seems to have taken up what looks like semi-permanent residence in the box. We have had some wet and windy weather over the last couple of days so it makes sense for them to be in the tower. We are now moving towards the mating season so we should see more of both. Fingers crossed!!

The sun is beginning to shine and down the Fen things are beginning to stir!
We took advantage today of the dry weather and in the temporary absence of our tenants we have carried out some further improvements to the camera feed and so far (fingers & toes crossed !!) we now seem to have a glorious permanent technicolour feed.

Just before half past ten last night the male barn owl brought a vole to the nest as the female was removing the egg shell from around the new born chick.

We now have six healthy chicks

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Late yesterday afternoon, soon after half past five, our fifth chick hatched.

Fingers crossed for our last egg hatching sometime early on Saturday morning.

Yesterday morning, around 7am, the fourth barn owl egg hatched.

The fifth is due on Wednesday afternoon.

On Friday night at about 9.30pm the third chick hatched.

The next one should be due tomorrow morning.

Just before lunchtime yesterday, the second barn owl chick emerged from its egg.

The next one is due on Friday night.

This morning, about half past one, one of the eggs started to pip and soon after two o’clock a chick was visible.

All being well the next egg should hatch sometime on Wednesday.

Our barn owls have now settled on six eggs.

It will be quiet in the nest chamber for the next two weeks with little to see.

Barn owls incubate from the first egg so we can expect the first chick sometime early in the week beginning 23rd May.

Viewers may have noticed lots of primary feathers in the nest. These have been moulted by the female. She will grow some replacement feathers whilst she is incubating.

Yesterday afternoon at 1.41pm, the barn owls laid a sixth egg.

Six is not an unusual number as barn owls are prolific egg layers.

If there is to be a seventh it should be visible later on Friday evening.