The Mystery Of The Missing Owl...

[Spreckles]

Elana
Yes you are. your birds are happily making babies and eyeballing everything you eat ;) It's ok to be good at what you do

[lovezebs]

Spreckles

Thanks sweetie.

[slwatson]

lovezebs

Thanks for that info...I didn't know that Owls would abandon if their nests were checked. Luckily, the two pairs went back in, but I'll be leaving them alone from now on!

[lovezebs]

slwatson

Good luck with the upcoming babies

[lovezebs]

Hello Owl Lovers...

Lady Owl (?) Is sitting as tight as can be.
Don't rightly know what or who she's sitting on, haven't been able to sneak a peak.

With my luck , maybe my Goldbreasts laid eggs in there, and she's sitting on them (or who knows what? )

[Smurf]

So you know where the owls are nesting, btw it's not fair to say she's sitting alone as they share incubation duties, he does just as much except for actualy laying the eggs, you know equality of the sexes

I'm not 100% convinced the latest photos you posted of the mystery chicks are owls but you should know by feather markings in next few days

[lovezebs]

Smurf

Hey Padraic.

I suppose it is possible that these two kids are taking turns, but I can't tell them apart , lol. I do see one of them sneaky two singing softly (so I'm assuming that's himself) .

As in regards to the two babies under the Star finches....

Look at the picts of the two possible choices, compared to these two infants. They look like Owl mouth markings to me.

http://www.hofmann-photography.de/index ... i_9127.jpg

http://www.hofmann-photography.de/index ... auda_1.jpg

[Smurf]

Yes, your right, gape markings do look like owls and definately not stars

[lovezebs]

Smurf

Hi Padraic.

So we do have Owl babies, in a Canary nest, being raised by Star finches, who allow nest checks, and babies being removed, then returned to the nest.... Oh so cool!

As mentioned above, will they fledge, acting like Owls, or Stars?

P.S. By the way, yes, I do know now where the real Owl pair are nesting. They have decided to raise their egg family in a deep old Easter 'egg' basket of many colours. It's hanging high up in the back, and taking your advice I've left them alone (no peaking ) allowing them to do their own thing (so I have no idea when these eggs were laid, how many eggs there are, nor when they will hatch) so it will all be a big surprise.

[Smurf]

Elana , i'm not sure how the star raised chicks will act, fostered chicks are normaly moved from foster parents to a flight containing same fostered species as soon as weaned. In your case their natural parents are in same flight so maybe they'll cop on that the're different and mimic the adult owls instead of foster parents ?

[Sheather]

I found that occured when I had a zebra finch raised by Javas, it would only accept food from the Java parents and not its own (though they were feeding its siblings at the same time), but once it was weaned it quickly integrated with its own kind.

[lovezebs]

Hello folks



I do believe that I am hearing faint begging from the Owl nest, and I think I have witnessed one of my Owl parents feeding someone in the Easter basket.

Could it be?

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Is like when you lose your car in a huge parking lot and you accidently try and open someone's elses car door?

Could this be an accidental nest swap by the star parents? Or did the female star figure "Oh hey honey, let's not bother with the egg laying part, its painful. There's already some here!"

Just think, this all started with a harmless purchase of two little owl cuties and now you are building an owl finch army.

[lovezebs]

Babs

Well, today when both Owls were out to check upon some excitement in the flight (more on that later ), I tried to take a quick snap with my phone, but can't make heads or tails out of it, maybe your eyes are better than mine (younger anyway )
I think Picasso would have been proud of this one, lol.

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

I spy one, possibly two in there. Doesnt it drive you crazy when you think you have the perfect shot, only to look at it while the parent rushes back and puts a birdbutt over them again