 When they are
alone in the nest, the owlets now spend about two thirds of their time
huddled together in the middle of the floor as they are seen doing here.
Seymour is underneath playing the role of pillow while repeating the peeping
sound that is an owlets first call. The older owlets prefer to wheeze
and seldom make the peeping sound. When they wake up, they stumble around
the nest exploring everything they can reach. Rufus also practices his
flying by making winged leaps across the floor that end when he crashes
into a wall. They have all spent some time doing the "frogman"
move in which they violently churn up the wood chips with their feet while
pushing themselves around the floor. Seymour made a mess by throwing wood
chips and sawdust all over June and the older owlets yesterday, but they
tolerated it politely. They also spend quite a bit of time preening their
feathers, bobbing their heads, and looking up through the door that will
one day lead them out of the nest. They have each examined and bitten the
lower steps of the owlet ladder, but have made no attempt to climb it.
June has been calling to them from a nearby perch for much of the morning
and they have occasionally responded with wheezing. They again ate well
last night and do not seem to be anxious about the absence of daytime
feedings. |