Barn Owl 2 - Attempt 1 (TX) — 2008

Feb 19, 2008 -
We were caught by surprise, but it appears the female has laid the first egg!

Feb 22, 2008 -
The second egg was laid sometime this morning. As many viewers have noted, the female appears much more comfortable in her role as parent and incubator!

Feb 23, 2008 -
Rather than skipping a day between eggs, the female laid her third egg today, mid-morning.

Feb 25, 2008 -
The female has been diligently incubating her clutch, which now stands at four eggs!

Feb 27, 2008 -
The female laid her fifth egg this morning.

Feb 29, 2008 -
At about 11 am, the female laid the sixth egg. She is seen here gently rotating her clutch.

Mar 02, 2008 -
Sometime late afternoon the seventh egg was laid. A helpful viewer in the Netherlands captured this image.

Mar 05, 2008 -
A viewer caught this picture of the barn owl's eighth egg!

Mar 18, 2008 -
As of 9:00 this morning, none of the eight eggs had hatched yet.

Mar 23, 2008 -
The first eggs have begun to hatch!

Mar 31, 2008 -
Two more eggs left...

Mar 31, 2008 -
All but two of the eggs have hatched! As you can see, growth is very rapid in the first weeks after birth. These birds will eventually grow so big that they will overshoot their adult body mass! The extra weight will be lost before fledging.

Apr 02, 2008 -

Apr 03, 2008 -
Although it is difficult to get an exact count of young, we don't see any more eggs, so it is likely they all hatched.

Apr 08, 2008 -
The young birds sleep huddled together to conserve heat.

Apr 10, 2008 -

Apr 11, 2008 -
Nice big meal today for all 5 nestlings! Most of the prey caught are small rodents, but sometimes bats, other birds, and reptiles are hunted too!

Apr 16, 2008 -
In this picture, the nestlings are being fed by the adult barn owl. When they all get big enough to tear up and swallow their own food, the adults will just leave whole prey in the nest.

Apr 22, 2008 -
This nestling is positioned right in front of the camera as it calls for food. Brooding has ended and now the nestlings are big enough that they can keep each other warm. The female barn owl is able to go out and hunt for prey to bring back to the nest.

May 05, 2008 -
The young take their first flight at around 50-55 days of age. The first egg hatched on March 21st so they should be testing their wings out very soon!

May 16, 2008 -
The exterior of the Owl Box located inside a hangar.

May 26, 2008 -
Barn Owls are one of the most widely spread species in the world. They are found on every continent except for Antarctica.

May 27, 2008 -
The entire movie of this barn owl's meal can be found under 'video highlights.'