 The snow
and cold weather are testing Ward's hunting skills and June's patience. He
managed to deliver only one meal last night and has not returned since.
June has been surprisingly patient and only called to him once today, but
leaps to the doorway every time she hears anything that sounds like a meal
arriving. She is shown here returning to her eggs only a few seconds after
one of those false alarms. Ward's difficulties are a result of the wet
snow that muffles the sounds of the footsteps of his prey, and the
clouds that block out the moonlight he uses to see at night. Last night's
snowstorm is being followed by rain and high winds which will present
equal challenges tonight, but he has proven highly resourceful in the past
and will undoubtedly find a way to catch up in the next few days. June
must average about three "mouse size" meals a day, but can
get by with less for short periods. While she usually sleeps when she is
incubating, today she spent many hours shredding the woodchips around her
eggs and has also collected quite a few feathers and placed them under the
eggs. I assume that she is doing this to help keep them warm in the
unseasonably cold weather. |