The tail feathers of the largest owl chick are still visible at the opening of the nest trunk

Tawny owl       Kodukakk        Strix aluco

We transmit the webcam images from the owl nest for the eleventh year. This year’s surviving owl chicks were hatched on April 18, 19 and 20. Such a sight we haven’t seen in the camera but it is known that similar things happen in the world of birds.

At about a month old the chicks are enticed out from the nest by the adults although they are still far from capable of flying and must climb around on the nest tree trunk aided by beak and claws. An owl chick that has once left the nest will never return there. The only thing that forces the chicks to abandon their ”comfortable life” is hunger – they simply must leave the nest. For the last three days the largest chick has been sitting in the nest opening and fended off the others from climbing there.  Of course the younger siblings were starving.

Sounds of the adults could be heard; uncertain if of the male too because we have only managed to see him rarely in camera view.

Last night  at about a quarter past eight the largest chick left the nest; it had been crouching in the nest opening from half past three in the day onwards.

There was some hope that one of the adults would bring some food during the night to the chicks left in the nest and so it probably happened too. But to the sorrow of us all it happened too late for the smallest chick …

It is fascinating to observe what happens in nature but we must be aware of the fact that a merciless fight for  survival goes on there. The emotional part is sometimes appalling but this is more due to human views, morals and ethics – nature acts rationally