When barn owls Willow & Ghost's chicks hatched out, fierce storms raged outside their nest.

Watch Willow and Ghost interact live on my nest cam:    • Live From Fotherdale | Robert E Fuller   and follow their story in this playlist:    • Barn Owls Willow & Ghost | Wild Live...  

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ABOUT THIS FILM
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Barn owls eggs laid unseasonably early

Barn owls normally lay their eggs in springtime, so that the chicks hatch during warm weather. But, this barn owl pair attempted to raise their family in the middle of winter.

Keeping eggs warm in the winter

This barn owl pair laid their eggs in January. Watch as the female Willow incubates three eggs around the clock, sitting tight to keep her eggs warm.

Fierce snow storms

Just five days before the eggs are due to hatch, Britain was battered by furious storms, and the eggs threaten to come just as Storm Eunice, which brought devastating damage to the country, moved on, and Storm Franklin blew in.

Flying is difficult for the owls

As strong winds, heavy rain and snowstorms swept across the country, Willow and Ghost struggled to fly to and from the nest to deliver food.

First barn owl egg hatches

That night when Willow stands I notice a crack in the egg shell on my live cam. Willow removes the shell and we catch a glimpse of the first chick, which my subscribers name Skye.

First feeds

In the first hours of its life, when the chick is barely able to sit upright and its eyes are still shut, the barn owl mom Willow feeds it small morsels.

Two days later and the 2nd owlet hatches

Barn owl eggs don’t hatch all at once. Chicks emerge from their eggs with 2–3 day delays. This is known as asynchronous hatching. And so 2 days later, I notice there’s a pip in the second egg. Right on cue, the 2nd chick, we name Spirit, is hatching.

Five days after the first, the 3rd hatches

The third chick arrives three days later. This baby barn owlet gets named Echo. There are five days between the eldest and the youngest, Skye now already twice this young chick's size.

Barn owl mealtimes

Willow's chicks need feeding regularly. Willow tears voles, mice and shrews into tiny pieces and feeds them to her young in turn. The fact that the chicks hatched 5 days apart gives them the best chance for survival since it minimizes a peak in their food demand by spacing it over a longer period.

Owlets eyes open

At 11 days old, the eldest, Skye begins to open her eyes and can sit up alone. Although she’s much larger than her siblings, she still can’t quite manage swallowing large pieces of food and all three still rely on Willow to feed them.

Barn owls first steps

As the warmer spring weather starts to arrive, Skye becomes too big to brood and, no longer reliant on mum Willow for warmth, she begins to take her first steps exploring the nest.

Learning to swallow

Finally this barn owl chick learns to swallow her food whole. This is a major milestone in her development. After such a stormy start to their lives, it's amazing to see these chicks thrive.

Next time

Subscribe to my channel to watch the next instalment from this barn owl nest, as Willow's brood turn from helpless chicks to cheeky individuals.

ABOUT ME
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I am a British wildlife artist and filmmaker on a mission to share my love for wildlife with the world. As well as creating detailed animal film and art portraits, I promote wildlife tours around the world and do all I can to help conserve and protect wildlife here at my home in Yorkshire. I hope that by putting nature in the frame I can foster a deep love for wildlife amongst my followers.

You may like to purchase my artwork which you can find on my website: https://www.robertefuller.com. Many of my paintings are portraits of the wonderful characters you watch here!

You can also follow me on these platforms:
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CHAPTERS
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00:00 Early Clutch
00:37 Winter Storms Rage
01:57 1st Chick Hatches
02:25 First Feed
03:00 A 2nd Chick Follows
03:35 3rd Chick Arrives
04:06 Barn Owlets' Early Diet
04:54 Swallowing Prey Whole
06:23 MotherDaughter Time
07:20 Next Time

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© Robert E Fuller

Copyright Disclaimer: Please feel free to share my videos but do not download any content without permission with the intent to reupload. If you would like to license any content, please get in touch: [email protected]

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