Barn Owls near Las Gallinas Ponds 2009

I have been passing by an Owl box on my way to the Las Gallinas Ponds for the past 5 years. I stopped now and then, but no residents appeared. This year, Penny happened by one day as Wildcare was taking Barn Owl chicks out of the box one by one to band them--all seven of them--and then putting them back in. We waited patiently for the chicks to fledge, knowing that they would hang around the box for a while to be fed by the parents. Finally, Sharon and I went to look, and there was a chick sitting calmly in the middle of a bush. We came every day after that, sometimes 3 times a day! We finally were able to count 5 separate chicks. Not sure what happened to the other two. I hope they fledged early and we simply missed them!

DAY ONE: 5/25/09 First one out of the nest! Not easily seen, but Sharon spotted him/her and we were quite close.
DAY ONE: 5/25/09
DAY ONE: 5/25/09 Toward noon--bright sun and dark shadows.
DAY THREE: 5/27/09
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY SIX May 30
DAY 8 JUNE 1 One is still here . . .
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 9 JUNE 2 2 are still here!
DAY 11 JUNE 4 After this day, they were nowhere to be found near the box. Now they could be anywhere in any tree and they are very hard to spot!

DAY ONE: 5/25/09 Sleeping . . .
DAY ONE: 5/25/09
DAY ONE: 5/25/09 When we came back at 4pm, he was parked high up in a pine tree.
DAY THREE: 5/27/09
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY SIX May 30
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 9 JUNE 2

DAY ONE: 5/25/09 Deep in the bush . . .
DAY ONE: 5/25/09
DAY TWO: May 26 -- out on a branch
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY SIX May 30 well hidden
DAY 7 MAY 31 some may have flown the coop.
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 11 JUNE 4 Oh, one more!

DAY ONE: 5/25/09
DAY ONE: 5/25/09
DAY THREE: 5/27/09 Now we have THREE babies high up in the tree.
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY SIX May 30
DAY 7 MAY 31
DAY 8 JUNE 1 ohhhh, 3 in the trees . . .
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 11 JUNE 4

DAY ONE: 5/25/09
DAY ONE: 5/25/09
DAY THREE: 5/27/09
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY FOUR May 28th
DAY SIX May 30
DAY 7 MAY 31
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 8 JUNE 1
DAY 11 JUNE 4