We got a look at Alice's new egg last night when she took a 10 minute break about 5:00 PM last night. All of a sudden there are lots of belly feathers around it, making it look well cared-for.
Alice hooted a lot while off her nest so Hein hooted with her while I quickly got her supper ready. I fed her a few tidbits by hand while she was off the nest.
Then when she was back on the nest I gave her a few more tidbits until she was done eating. This is how I had to feed her last year. I left the rest of the rat on her food tray, but she didn't touch it, as expected.
This morning she got off her nest about 5 AM to poop, then was right back on it. Around 7 AM she took a break but had trouble getting back up to her tall perch by the nest...somehow she had a hold of one of her wings with her foot while grasping the perch with the same foot and hanging upside down. I ran at warp speed and helped her up onto the perch. I moved her tall chair perch into the room now to help her get back up to the nest through more incremental steps, as I did last year. When she sits all day on the nest she seems to lose muscle tone and has more trouble getting from perch to perch. This makes it a bit easier for her.
Great photos Karla. I guess you have been drafted as male GHO who usually brings food to female while she is brooding eggs. Saw my female GHO last night sitting in a tree close to the nest in my yard. Haven't seen the male yet but hope they will nest here again this year. If so I should see more activity and hooting around the nest in about a month.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous owl Alice is! Love the colors of her beautiful feathers and her eyes. Glad you moved her tall chair perch back to help her. These are wonderful photographs; thanks Karla for posting them.
ReplyDeleteknaz
P.S. mmm those rat pieces look yummy, nice and rare. Do you deliver?
22:34 Feb. 18
ReplyDeleteRusty brought food to Iris. There was cooing between the two. Also, there is at least one egg in the nest that can be clearly seen.
Rusty made a food delivery just now (04:56 PST on 22 Feb 2013), and there were some very interesting vocalizations--kind of a trilling twitter. Couldn't tell who was making them.
ReplyDeleteShould be an interesting nesting season! Interesting that this year's clutch is 3 eggs. btw, did Alice lay any additional eggs this year, or just the one?
The little chittery vocalizations come from Iris during the food deliveries. Alice laid two eggs this year. I'll update the blog tonight, hopefully, since she just finished her incubation period and we removed the eggs.
ReplyDeleteFemale GHO fighting over nest with another GHO, which kicked Eagles out of their nest this season.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMigOHY2f_4
Any idea on vocals?
Holy cow Wolphie! So the first hooter is a male. Then the female intruder comes in and Bonnie leaves, but the intruder has a look that would kill, like the females who came around here trying to attack Alice. The intruders hoots may be normal hoots or emphatic hoots (with extra emphasis)...I don't know her regular hoot, but I'd suspect this is an emphatic hoot. Thanks for showing me the video! Cams are awesome for witnessing behavior.
ReplyDeleteAnother attack. Clyde, her mate seems to warn her of incoming.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNMAl9vLu_c
I am sure if I understood GHO talk, my ears would be burning.
Luckily, she returned and seemed unharmed.
Holy cow! Feet were flying...that was a serious attack. Someone likely came out of that with some punctures.
DeleteThese attacks have continued to happen. Almost always during the normal 'fly about' time. Half the time she is flushed off the nest. The other, they lock talons. Tonight, they toppled off the nest together end over end.
ReplyDeleteNo harm to the eggs, but nest week when they hatch.
I think Owlzilla has her own nest nearby.