2012 Clutch
Eggs Laid: 6 Total: Hatched & Names
#1: 2/29/12 @ 6:35pm (Leap Day) 3/31/12 – Leap @ 2:53pm (32
days)
#2: 3/3/12 @ 8:24pm 4/3/12 –
Nicasio (Nic) @ 1:03am (12 hours Pip to hatch)
#3:
3/5/12 between 7:30 – 11:15am 4/5/12 – Alex @ 10:17am (approx.
17 hrs. pip to hatch)
#4: 3/7/12 @ 10:15am 4/6/12 –
Maggie @ 1:03pm (31 days)
#5: 3/9/12 @ 12:10pm 4/8/12 –
Mark @ 5:18pm (31 days)
#6: 3/11/12 – between 7:52 & 8:15pm 4/11/12 – Tracker @ 1:30am (31
days)
We lost Tracker at the age of 11 days on 4/21/12. With 6 owlets to feed
Pepper started hunting and although she tried to feed all, little Tracker was
just not able to get enough food.
Alone:
4/18/12 Pepper
starts to hunt. She still stayed in box during the day until 4/26/12
Banding:
5/12/12
all owlets banded on right leg
Ages
@ time of banding:
Leap: 43 days
old (6 weeks, 2 days)
Nicasio: 40 days (5 weeks, 5 days)
Alex: 38 days (5 weeks, 3 days)
Maggie: 37 days (5 weeks, 2 days)
Mark: 35 days (5 weeks)
Banding
information from Anne Ardillo:
owl #1 band number 117761830, 657 grams (bigger legs
so got a bigger sized band)
owl #2 band number 117761831, 617 grams (bigger legs
so got a bigger sized band)
owl #3 band number 190700152, 567 grams
owl #4 band number 190700153, 582 grams
owl #5 band number 190700154, 662 grams (we think
this may have been the biggest bird)
because they are not fully grown, all other typical
measurements were not done (wing, tail, beak and hallux claw)..its hard to age
just by weight.
Maggie
Rufo: They were
all very healthy and of good weights. The box was pretty full of stuff and
their feet were really gunked up. Anne checked them over carefully to make sure
there were no sores on their feet. Sometimes in boxes where the owls are
sickly, it gets very wet inside from their sickly droppings and then they
develop sores on their feet and need to be treated, but these guys were in good
shape.
Fledge
Dates & Ages (first time out of
box) Full Fledge dates (completely gone)
Leap: 6/1/12 – 64 days old (9 weeks, 1 day) Leap: 7/6/12
Nicasio: 6/1/12 – 60 days old (8 weeks, 4 days) Nicasio: 7/6/12
Alex: 6/3/12 – 60 days (8 weeks, 4 days) Alex: 7/7/12
Maggie: 6/5/12 – 61 days (8 weeks, 5 days) Maggie: 7/7/12
Mark – 6/10/12 – 64 days (9 weeks) Mark: 7/10/12
**12
weeks (84 days) owlets are considered adults – All 5 of the Nicasio Clutch were
14 weeks (Mark 13 weeks) when they left home.
***7/10/12 Salt and Pepper have returned to the
branches of the owl box, guarding home!
FOOD
DROPS – 2/17 TO 7/11/12
670 = Pocket Gophers
69 = Mice
94 = Voles
2 = Moles
8 =
Rabbits
3 = Rats
137 = Rodents (unable to identify)
GRAND
TOTAL = 983 prey delivered and recorded
Attention:
4 Nights = NO data recorded - 19 Nights of INCOMPLETE Prey count
~~ Trackers ~~
A very special thank you goes to
Trackers: Barbara Good, Lilly Pad,
Jasmin Steiger, Britt Furseth, and Tara Schopke for all the help this year ♥♥
I would like to thank all of our
Trackers for their commitment to the Nicasio Owls and the Hungry Owl Project.
Some of you had prior commitments this year:
Dale Crone Crawford, ,
Karen Resch, Pam Reynier,
2011Clutch
Courtship started Beginning of February: First gift (gopher) delivered by Salt to Pepper on 2/7/11 in the owl box.
Eggs Laid: 5 total
#1: 2/22/11 @ 3:54pm Pip in egg on 3/24 (30 days) Hatched: 3/26 @ 6:34pm = 32 Days
#2: 2/24/11 @ 2:31pm Pip in egg on 3/26 (31 days) Hatched: 3/29 @ 12:19am = 33 days
#3: 2/26/11 @ 5:35pm Pip in egg on 3/28 (32 days) Hatched: 3/31 @ 6:51pm = 33 days
#4: 3/1/11 @ 11:26am Pip in egg on 3/31 (31 days) Hatched: 4/02 @ 6:20pm = 32 days
#5: 3/3/11 @ 4:43pm Lost on 3/11/11 (See *)
* Egg #5 lost at 6:20am - Pepper somehow had the egg in front of her foot where the leg of a gopher was draped over it and being held there by her foot. Every time Pepper tugged on the tough meat, the gopher leg slammed down on the egg - eventually causing it to crack. Pepper consumed it.
Names: On April 28, 2011, the students of Nicasio School named the owlets after players from the 2010 World Series Champions, San Francisco Giants Baseball Team.
Owlet #1: Posey
Owlet #2: Lincecum
Owlet #3: Cain
Owlet #4: Torrez **
** After several days of Salt not being around and Pepper not being able to feed the owlets herself: HOP and Wildcare graciously intervened (in case something happened to Salt). They removed Torrez who was substantially weak and dehydrated. They also supplemented the remaining owlets with 24 or so mice. Torrez was taken to the WildCare facility, where they treated and cared for little Torrez the best they could. Unfortunately he was just to weak and passed away on April 24, 2011 at the age of 3 weeks.
After supplementation the other three owlets thrived and Salt was back (all was good).
NOTE: A very special thank you and kudos to all the volunteers who coordinated and allowed the intervention: Principal Christy Stocker, H.O.P. Director Alex Godbe, Maggie Rufo, Mark Tong. The volunteers from WildCare and especially Anne Ardillo and John who gave up their Holiday time to do the field work. ♥♥
*** Please note that intervention is not usually done, and not always in the best interest of the owls. In the wild this is all part of nature. It all boils down to "survival of the fittest".
Alone: On May 2, 2011 Pepper leaves the owlets (roosts close by outside the box). The owlets ages: Posey 37 days, Lincecum 34 days, Cain 32 days.
Banding: took place on 5/8/11:
Posey: banded on left leg Lincecum: banded on Rt. leg Cain: banded on Rt. leg
Weight - 739g Weight - 689g Weight 569g
Age: 43 days old Age: 39 days old Age: 37 days old
Fledge Dates: Posey on 5/29 - Lince on 5/31 - Cain on 6/2. **Empty Box: on 6/12/11
Owlets Became Adults: (12 weeks old) Posey on June 18, Lincecum on June 22, Cain on June 24.
Salt and Pepper return to the box on 6/22: They are chasing and vocally warning the offspring to stay away. They still allow Cain, but if they are on the branches around owl box and Cain comes, the parents immediately leave. At this time Cain was still being fed.
*Cain finally made it to FULL fledge on 7/4!!! At which time he received the last delivery of a gopher by Salt.
**Salt and Pepper have been at the owl box every night since Cain's fledging. They have each been inside the box (separately); doing all the courtship type things. Have been bonding on the branches, but NO mating (although Salt has tried). No gifts either. A lot of vocalizing, to/at each other, and at their offspring I believe. If any turn of events, I shall add.
FOOD DROPS
02/07/11 to 07/04/11
TOTAL PREY RECORDED: 849
712 - Pocket Gophers
79 - Mice
3 - Rats
7 - Rabbits
48 - Unknown
~~~~~~~~ "The Spice Trackers" ~~~~~~~
♥♥ Thank you for all your diligence and hard work in acquiring all the data ♥♥
Barbara Good, Dale Crone Crawford, Britt Furseth, Karen Resch, Pam Reynier, Lilly Pad, Tom Cuddahy
Thom David and Elizabeth Good for the fantastic charts !!
2010 ClutchMost of you already know that the Owl Box at Nicasio School was set up in the spring of 2007 by "The Hungry Owl Project", otherwise known as HOP. Two barn owls were sited around March? of 2009. Hop was notified, and the children at Nicasio were able to see the broadcast of the Owls that took up residency. The IT guy (Mark) decided to broadcast for all to see and it just took off from there. A few of us got to see the egg laying and hatching, etc. We all were writing in the comment section of Ustream what we saw, the egg laying, Salt bringing Pepper food, hatching...the whole nine yards. As you know Ustream has changed the format and I believe those comments are lost. Of course we do have the info. on the egg laying and hatching; also I have a list of the rodents that were delivered from hatching to fledging (not total - some were missed) but a pretty good idea.
Ginger (egg #1) laid April 4th @ 1:30pm; hatched May 8th @ 6:28pm
Cinnamon (egg #2) laid April 7th @ 10:30am; hatched May 9th @ 2:33pm
Peppermint (egg #3) laid April 9th 12pm-4pm; hatched May 10th 11-11:30pm
All Three Owlets downed first whole mouse at 10/11 days old.
TOTAL FOOD DROPS: 310 (known) RODENTS DELIVERED - consisting of: 288 pocket gophers, 10 mice, 8 voles, 1 mole, 1 rat, 2 rabbits ** This count was taken from May 9, up to July 3o, 2009 **
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