 The
owlets again went through the day without any food and were more than
ready when Ward delivered the first mouse of the day just before dark.
June had left only minutes earlier and the owlets were side-by-side
waiting, as pictured here, when they heard his feet touch the rail.
This set off a frenzy of wheezing and leaping in which Spencer got
the mouse and quickly swallowed it. Penelope did a lot of wheezing to
complain, but did not have to wait long. June arrived with another
meal less than five minutes later. Ward and June continued to bring in the
food at this rapid pace with 10 more deliveries by 11pm. This was enough
to quiet the owlets and allow the adults to go out and hunt for their own
food. The owlets are now getting almost all of their food in the first few
hours after darkness and I wonder if this will continue as their appetites
grow even larger. Their current schedule is very different from past years
when the food was distributed more evenly throughout the day. Whatever the
reason, it appears to be working and they are growing normally. |