 Just
after Ward delivered another snake to the nest this afternoon, June made a
sound that is only heard when hatching is very near. The chattering
sound that is wedged between these two squeals is her way of saying
that the eggs are OK. Her assessment was confirmed at 10pm when the sound
of peeping could be heard coming from the nest. This peeping
sound comes from inside the unhatched egg and usually starts about twelve
hours before hatching. I expect that this is June's first indication that
all her work is paying off, since barred owls have been known to sit on infertile
eggs for weeks. Hopefully, the actual hatching will be delayed until
daylight, so that I can post pictures of the event tomorrow. |