Jan & Feb 2019 Update
Update: Barn Owls Find Love
What's new on the Barn Owl Nest Camera
Read on to follow the story of barn owls as they pair up and find a nest. They've even begun to dig a nest scrape inside the nest box .
Click here to find out the latest in their story on my March update.
And scroll down to see my paintings inspired by these owl studies.
February 22nd 2019
Barn Owls Settle Into Life at the Elm Stump
Loved-up Lives of Barn Owls
The barn owls have settled into a comfortable daily routine inside my nest box. Life at the Elm Stump involves re-digging and perfecting the nest scrape - it is predominantly the female who does this - stretching, fluffing out feathers and making love. Watch this short sequence for a flavour of the average day in the life of this barn owl pair.
https://youtu.be/0g_8_OI6rXk
Click the image above to play the video
February 20th 2019
Barn Owls Dig A Nest & Make Love
Courting Barn Owls
The barn owl pair is now mating. Hopefully this will mean eggs soon. Watch the clip above to see the female dig a nest scrape into the debris at the bottom of the nest box before they mate. Barn owls lay their eggs in scrapes rather than build their own nests.
https://youtu.be/-YyNyrUryPU
Click the image above to play the video
Barn Owls
How to Sex a Barn Owl
It isn't easy to tell the difference between male and female barn owls - unless they are sitting side by side as in the clips above and below. Females are always bigger and darker than males. They also have a distinctive buff-coloured throat and dark spots along their flanks. But even these signs are not exact indicators as this post from the Barn Owl Trust suggests.
February 19th 2019
Barn Owls in Love
Courting Barn Owls
I now have a pair inside my owl box! Interestingly they have chosen the box made out of an elm stump - the very same box they nested in last year. Watch the clip above to see them tenderly preening one another's facial discs. This behaviour is essential to establish a strong bond in advance of the breeding season.
https://youtu.be/-BWb4FNu_a8
Click the image above to play the video
January 30th 2019
Barn Owl Sees Off A Rival
Territorial Barn Owl Battles
Watch this barn owl stand its ground as it comes under attack from a tawny owl. Notice the way the barn owl spreads its wings out as the tawny approaches. This technique is known as 'mantling', literally adopting a mantle to make it look twice its size. It is now big enough to scare away the tawny. The bigger bird continues its attack, but the barn owl holds steady and eventually the tawny flies off.
https://youtu.be/SipzoC3RN3w
Click on the image above to play the video
Read More
Follow my other nest cameras:
Peregrine Nest Camera 2019: https://www.robertefuller.com/category/peregrine-nest-camera-2/
Enjoying this? You may also like my Tawny Owl Cam where I follow the daily lives of the tawny family that also live in my garden.
https://www.robertefuller.com/stories-from-inside-a-tawny-owl/
And my Kestrel Nest Cam, where again I follow the lives of a kestrel family.
https://www.robertefuller.com/stories-from-a-kestrel-nest/
More about Robert E Fuller
Studies for Fine Art Paintings
The daily lives of these owls provide inspiration for my paintings. Below is a selection of my finished art work.
Barn Owl on Stormlamp | Fine Art Print | Shop Now
Barn Owl on Fence Post | Fine Art Print | Shop NowClick here to see my full collection.
