Tawny Owl Camera News

Webcam screencap by  Fleur, LK forum
Translation Liis

 

Tawny owl     Kodukakk        Strix aluco

 

Klaara laid the first egg on March 15. In early morning this egg was not yet in the nest. She thus laid the second egg in daytime, let us note on March 18,

About half an hour after sunset Klaara prepares for a ”leg stretch”. To start with she calls on Klaus, if the male answers (we will not necessarily hear it) she flies out to socialize. The last evenings the egg was on its own in the nest for three hours.

Video recorded by Biker, LK forum

 

Tawny owl     Kodukakk      Strix aluco

 

At 7 o’clock in the evening Klaara called on her mate Klaus. And after that we saw the first egg lying on the bottom of the nest.

The nesting period of tawny owls is long and we will have time to discuss everything in more detail.

Introduction  Renno Nellis
Transmission courtesy of  TELE2 and  EENet
Translation Liis

The tawny owl was elected by the Estonian Ornithological Society as Bird of the Year in 2009. From that time we have followed the nesting of a tawny owl pair in Lääne County – Klaus and Klaara. We are not convinced however that we still have to do with the same Klaus and Klaara, because by exterior characteristics it is not possible to distinguish between birds from different years. The average lifetime of a tawny owl is 5 years but the oldest tawny owl living in nature reached an age of 18 years.

Video recorded by Urmas Lett

 

 

Tawny owl      Kodukakk       Strix aluco

 

Yesterday, Friday, March 3, Renno got the webcam in place and by evening the connection worked too.

In the video we see Klara’s first visit to the nest tree trunk: at 9 o’clock pm the owls could be heard hooting. The brief visit to the nest trunk was two hours later; around midnight the owl pair was again busy near the nest …

Tomorrow  we can hopefully open the owl webcam page.

Webcam image captured by Hagnat, LK forum

Translation Liis

A portrait of the smallest chick who was the last to leave the nest log

 

Tawny owl       Kodukakk      Strix aluco

The chicks of tawny owl pair Klaara and Klaus move around near the nest tree. They left the nest log almost at the same time, and as owl camera viewers know from earlier, none of the chicks will return to the nest log.

Image from webcam captured by Maggy, LK forum

Translation Liis

 

Tawny owl      Kodukakk      Strix aluco

 

Our trio was one month old on Thursday. The three tawny owl chicks were hatched on the same day, that is April 12, but a difference in size is quite noticeable.

Parents Klaara and Klaus have managed their upbringing well. Congratulations!

Video recorded by  Urmas Lett, www.eenet.ee

Translation Liis

 

Tawny owl     Kodukakk      Strix aluco

In the next few days the first ”daring” chick will leave the nest, and the others will follow. Aided by the strong beak and claws they will climb around in the trees near the nest, letting the adults know by calling where to come to feed them. In a couple of weeks they achieve a measure of flying skill but exercise makes a master. The family will be busy together probably until August.

 

Webcam image captured by  Birdfriend, LK forum

Translation Liis

 

Tawny owl    Kodukakk        Strix aluco

 

On Monday the smallest of the chicks, hatched three days later than the others, surrendered in the fight for survival. There was really no hope to compensate for such an age difference so what must happen, did happen. The parents who have been diligently feeding their chicks can in no way be ”blamed” because in the life mode of these birds such things are genetically encoded.

Image from webcam captured by  Maggy, LK forum

Translation Liis

 

Tawny owl       Kodukakk        Strix aluco

 

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Time flies. The trio that hatched on the night of April 12 has become two weeks old. The last owlet, that hatched 4 days later, cannot even out the difference in development; for tawny owls as for many other species the strongest individuals stay alive..

Owl mum Klaara no longer covers the young in the night, they must become hardened. Of course the food need grows by each day. The adults have managed nicely despite the changeable weather.

Image from webcam captured by  Maggy, LK forum

Translation Liis

 

Tawny owl    Kodukakk       Strix aluco

 

After Saturday night it can be confidently stated that all Klaara´s eggs in the nest have hatched. The first trio was hatched by the evening of April 12 (who did so and when only Klaara knows) when what had taken place in the nest became visible on Klaara’s exit flight. On Friday night we noticed egg shells near the three chicks and on Saturday night the foursome was caught in the webcap by Maggy, LK forum.