July 7, 2014 SNOWY OWL
The case of the diminishing owlets
As of today there are 4 owlets Today I saw the female has moved her brood out of the nest down into the tallgrass -
unfortunately on the OTHER side - away from cam.
I had noticed explore had posted there were 6 eggs and I had seen that picture.
Many on the blog were asking - how many - and I could only count 4.
July 6 I had thot I saw the Mom feeding inside the nest - and there had been no food drop.
In fact food became scarce.
So I posted on blog to give me information - and got this email.
July 7, 2014 From Denver Holt of Owl Research Institute:
"She had 7 eggs during the first week of June. Her first chick hatched around 06 June, followed sequentially every day or other day for the rest. By 29 June all 7 chicks were in the nest. Food has become scare however. The 7th and 6th chicks died in the nest shortly after hatching. They probably died of starvation and were most likely fed to the other chicks by the female. This is not uncommon if food is scarce. Occassionaly the female might also eat one.
On 03 July she still had 5 chicks. On 06 July there were 4 chicks."
They all looked healthy, but the 4th was several days behind in age.
Owl Research Institute
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She is there. She has moved her babies out of the nest to the tallgrass on the other side of the mound from cam. I guess that is the equivalent of branching - normal and natural. The owlets are fledging. Ground nesting birds are different than tree nests.
Owlets are FAMOUS for falling out of trees - fledging - or fludging - too early.
You can SEE 2 of the owlets are too big for the nest.
See her peek at us? I imagine her saying - nyah nyah nyah to us.
BOO! Ghost owl! 8)
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so beautiful 
