Barn Owl Bairns

All is well in the barn owl box, although due to a technical hitch its only this last week or so that I’ve been able to check in on it. At the start of May Marny left the nest for a few minutes to reveal six white eggs. Also a lovely juicy mouse for breakfast!

Then around the end of May the eggs began to hatch. I believe all six hatched successfully and up to now there are six chicks, ranging greatly in size from the oldest fluffy womble like ones to the youngest pink scrawny scraps.

Marny is being a great Mum, spreading out her wings to brood her bairns. There seems to be a plentiful supply of mice, voles and shrews to feed the chicks with.

Marny herself sems to go out a few times each night now to help with hunting. She must welcome the chance to escape the box and spread her wings again after her long confinement. Now when she goes out the young owlets all huddle together for warmth in one fluffy mass.

I was worried that I had not seen Barny whilst scrolling through the video footage. Had something happened to him? Was Marny having to leave the chicks each night to hunt because he was no longer there? However I caught a fleeting glimpse of Barny the other night. He drops food into the box but does not hang around. It’s just a quick “deliveroo” and he’s off again.

I’m quite hopeful that this year there will be perhaps three or four owlets that survive. As the eldest chicks fatten up and begin to feed themselves I can’t see the youngest chicks being able to compete for food with them. I fear the youngest one at least will not make it and may even be eaten by a sibling. Owlet fratricide is not uncommon. We’ll see.