Bird Cams eNews: Owls Hatching and Fledging, Hawks and Herons Update

Posted on May 20, 2014 by

 

Bird Cams eNews

Wynken, Blynken, Nod, and an adult perch outside the box

The Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owls take in the world outside their box. Photo by Jim Carpenter.

Nonstop Owl Action

Our two owl cams have been a whirlwind of activity over the last few days. The three owlets at the Wild Birds Unlimited Barred Owl Cam were named Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by the cams community, and on May 12, Wynken fledged from the box to a nearby maple. Over the next couple days the other two owlets will leave the box, and may not return to it ever again. Don’t miss your chance to see them before they depart for the outside world! Watch the owlets

In addition to the fledging activity, two of the five eggs at the Texas Barn Owl Box hatched out over Mother’s Day weekend (watch the highlight video), and the third hatched yesterday! The last two should hatch over the next few days. Watch now
Big Red looks over the slumbering nestlings

Cornell Hawks Are Thriving

The nestling Red-tailed Hawks high above Cornell’s campus continue to grow on a steady supply of rodents, rabbits, and snakes delivered by Big Red and Ezra. Although the young hawks are still cloaked in down, these feathers will soon give way to their juvenile plumage and they’ll be left alone for longer periods at the nest site. If last year’s fledge interval is any indication of when these young hawks will fledge, we can expect a first flight sometime around June 9. Watch cam

Ospreys On Eggs!

The Hellgate Ospreys are settling in atop three eggs following a late season snowstorm that struck Montana over the weekend. The nest bowl is deep enough this year that it’s difficult to see the eggs, yet thanks to eagle-eyed viewers we were able to document three distinct periods where Iris appeared to lay an egg (including one on Mother’s Day!). We’ll have to wait until the eggs hatch (likely 5-6 weeks from now) till we know how many eggs were laid for sure. The Hellgate Ospreys are being studied as part of the Montana Osprey Project. Watch cam

Kaloakulua stretches her wings

Albatross Exploration

The young Laysan Albatross Kaloakulua has now entered a transitional stage where much of her down has been replaced by shiny new adult feathers. Her remaining downy fluff will disappear over the coming weeks as she nears her first flight. During her daily explorations she has discovered the other albatross chick in the yard and has even begun running and flapping her wings! Tune in and enjoy the world through albatross eyes. Watch cam
The male heron approaches the nest site

Still Waiting on the Cornell Herons

The Great Blue Herons of Sapsucker Woods continue to leave us guessing about their inclination to breed here this year. The long winter took its toll on the old nest, which fell to the pond during an April storm soon after the male heron returned. After a couple days of little activity, the male was seen courting and mating with a second heron in the darkness at the nest site. This was followed by stick-carrying and more courting, but no nest has been constructed yet.

We’re still waiting for a clear sign that the herons are going to breed on camera this year before opening up chat. Till then, we’ll feature the @CornellHerons Twitter feed on the side of the page so you can easily scroll back through observations. Lots of turtles, songbirds, and other wildlife still being seen on camera.

Thanks for watching and keep your fingers crossed!

 

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