Remember a few months ago I built a nest box for a pair of Barn Owls that had been hanging around? Did I ever officially tell you they're using it? The pair has been hanging around ever since, and the female pretty consistently would fly out of the box whenever I would go into the barn (that's a few times a day, what a spazz!) for nearly a month. So, she was obviously nesting. I don't see the male too often anymore, just sometimes in the morning he'll be up in the rafters of the barn.
Well, I'd been pretty worried the last two days. Normally, I see the female several times a day, whenever I go out there. But there was no sign of her yesterday or today, and Barn Owls are pretty frequent road kill around here. I went out there this evening and did some shouting and whooping, but still no sign of her. I was going to drag a ladder in there and climb up to the box, but before I did that I stood under the box and pounded on the wall with my fist. And there she was! She flew out the box. And in the silence, I heard the tiniest softest little screechy noises.
Yes, the owls have babies! I felt bad about scaring her off the nest, but I was pretty concerned that she was missing, and I know she returns quickly to the nest. I'm glad she's okay, guess she's just sticking tighter to the nest now that there are babies. I won't know what's in there til they fledge, I have no intention of going up there and sticking my face in a box of grumpy owls.
I will say, to their credit, I haven't seen a mouse for about two months. They are, however, incredibly disgusting and have crapped and yarfed up pellets all over the barn. And I'm sure it'll be worse when the babies fledge. Oh well, I guess it just means I can't leave stuff sitting around the barn. Gotta love nature... :-)
In other news... there isn't much news. I finished a scrim piece over the weekend, and I'll show you in June what it is. Started another pendant, and hope to finish a few pendants before I leave for Atlanta. I'm SO excited about the show, but getting super stressed about the logistics, expenses, etc. The first time at a show is always pretty nerve-wracking, but especially one that's 2500 miles away!
I shipped out the last of the sale birds this morning. And the last of the sale eggs will go out tomorrow. I'll set eggs in my incubator before I leave, and hatch a batch or two when I come back.
3 comments:
Ha Ha! You said yarfed! That makes me laugh awful hard! But I must say that it was very mean of you to pound on the wall to see if momma owl was home. I equate it to mother nature and her earthquakes, making our homes shake to see if we all run out screaming like ants (at least I can imagine ants screaming). I think that your "box o' grumpy owls" statement is my new favorite term this week. For example: He is having a bad morning. His is as testy as a box of grumpy owls. -BMc.
Well what can I say, it beat climbing up there and having her fly out and rip my eyeballs out or something.
How incredibly cool to have a pair of owls raising babies in your barn! I hope that you can get photos of the babies when they fledge.
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