Nature Done Wright

    Houston, I think we have an owlet.

   Or more.

    For those logging on for the first time since Friday, the big day turned out to be Sunday — at least one owlet was born by 7:15 a.m.

   That’s five weeks after Mrs. Ace laid the first egg and several days past the typical incubation period  — unless incubation started after the third egg or something else happened. 

   I couldn’t see the owlet all day yesterday, and I didn’t hear a peep.

   But I could tell by the half of an eggshell in one corner of the box that an owlet had arrived.

   During the day I occasionally checked the screech-cam monitor and saw Mrs. Ace methodically chew and shred the eggshell until it reached Humpty-Dumpty proportions.

   By evening, it was hard to imagine that those little white flecks were, not long before, part of a perfectly wonderful egg.

         *     *     *

  Momma Screech Owl is playing her little Aces close to the vest so far.

   We watched for an hour last night and barely saw a little white fuzzball head with an impossibly small bill look out from under Momma’s feathers.

   Our glimpses lasted barely longer than blinks, but they were as exquisite as they were brief.

   Mr. Ace did drop by with a moth for Mrs. Ace at one point, bt iut was hard to tell if she ate it herself or shared with the newly hatched owlets.

   I did try to catch the wisp of an owlet with the video-cam, for naught. But I promise to keep trying.

   We could also heard sounds that seemed halfway between peeps and gripes, as if one or more tiny owlets wanted to fed or nurtured.

   Below is a bit of a video for screech-owl addicts who are able to download it. You can see the flecks of egg, hear Mrs. Ace whinny once, and hear the rasps of the owlet.

    Download MVI_0289.avi

  Not exactly Sweeps Week material, but the Aces of Allendale are becoming must-see TV for some.

  To everyone who has shared in this slightly crazy journey thus far, thanks for your comments and your caring.

  To anyone just climbing aboard, welcome. Stick around. We hope for a safe but fascinating ride.

      *     *     *

   When I checked on Mrs. Ace and the brood this morning, Mrs. Ace had them all tightly under wing.  (See photo at the top of this post.)

   No baby pictures yet.

   At this point, I know enough not to predict when we might expect them.