Tawny Owls - Dawn and Dusk
Introducing Dawn and Dusk, our resident tawny owls! Nestled in the heart of a woodland, these remarkable birds have found solace in a newly installed nest box equipped with an externally mounted Reolink camera.
It's been a bustling month for this owl duo. Although we lack a camera inside the box, approximately six weeks ago, they successfully mated and have since been frequenting the box regularly. Their journey has not been without its challenges, as they've encountered interference from grey squirrels determined to disrupt their nest. However, thanks to Dusk's vigilant defense of the nest site, this interference has now ceased.
Dawn is currently in her second week of incubating her eggs, seldom leaving the nest site. She relies on Dusk to provide food, which he dutifully brings in 2-3 times a night, offering a variety including mice and rats, the latter being most common.
That's the current chapter of their story. Please check back regularly to this webpage to follow their ongoing journey, as I share updates and footage captured by the cameras.
Update: 9th May
BREAKING NEWS!
Exciting news from Dawn and Dusk's nest box! We've spotted one of the owlets, as shown in this video. It's been delightful observing this tawny owl pair for the past few months, and catching a glimpse of their first offspring is simply fantastic. I can hear two owlets calling, indicating we'll soon see both perched at the box entrance, surveying the world.
They'll soon venture out to a nearby tree, where they'll continue to be fed by the adults. Once they're settled, I'll capture some photos with my camera. Stay tuned for a naming competition, with a prize awaiting the winner. Watch this space for updates!
Update: 3rd May
Apologies for the delay in updates, as we've been incredibly busy managing our remote cameras lately. Exciting developments have been unfolding at the Tawny Owl box, where Dawn and Dusk have been actively engaged. Dawn has been diligently incubating her eggs, while Dusk has been providing regular food drops each evening, often consisting of sizable rats that leave me wondering how they eat such a large food item..
Approximately two weeks ago, we began hearing faint sounds of newly hatched chicks within the box. Dawn has since increased her hunting efforts to feed the growing family. The chicks' calls have progressively grown louder, indicating significant growth. While we lack a camera inside the box, I estimate there are likely two chicks. It won't be long before we catch glimpses of them peeking out of the box, which promises to be thrilling.
Once the owlets emerge, we'll launch a naming competition with a prize giveaway, so stay tuned for updates on that front. Check out some recent footage from the box, and listen closely for the calls of the young owlets inside.
Just listen to those calls.
Update: 10th April
Dusk is continuing to bring in food for Dawn who is still incubating her eggs. I can only guess how many but I would assume 2-3 based on literature. at 2.21am Dusk brought what looks like a rat. You can hear him communicating with Dawn.
Update: 6th April 2024:
To kick off the story of Dawn and Dusk's adventures in 2024, I'm thrilled to share a couple of my favourite recent videos captured by the Reolink cameras. In the first footage, we see Dusk arriving at the nest site during the day with a large mouse while Dawn tends to her eggs inside the nest box and in the second video we see him bring in another mouse with lots of communication between the two owls. Stay tuned for more updates and captivating moments from our resident tawny owls!
Dusk arriving with a mouse
Just listen to those calls.
