Approaching their second season together, barn owls Gylfie & Finn search for the best nest.

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

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ABOUT THIS FILM
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Ready to nest

There are plenty of bird boxes around my Yorkshire home, but the obvious choice for this barn owl pair is Elm Stump box. Gylfie has raised four successive broods here and knows it well. So by January they were scraping out a hollow ready for their eggs.

Checking out the competition

After spending some time getting this nest ready for the season, Gylfie suddenly decided to tour other available nests.

Sycamore stump

Her first stop was Sycamore Stump. Gylfie nested here with a previous mate, Barney, back in 2019. But this year this owl box is occupied by another barn owl pair, Willow & Ghost.

Ash stump

Another option is Ash Stump and Gylfie & Finn relocate here for a while, scraping out more hollows and even snoozing in it during the day. But they don't keep a close enough watch, so kestrel pair Mr & Mrs Kes move in.

Beech stump

The barn owls move on to Beech Stump. They had five chicks here last Autumn which sadly perished due to bad weather and lack of food. In case they choose this box this season, I decide to renovate it, making it wider and more comfortable.

Nest box wars

But as soon as it's ready tawny owls Bomber and his mate Luna move in. If Gylfie wants it she will have to fight the much larger species for it.

Owls clash

This doesn't defer Gyflie, and there's a ferocious flurry of feathers and talons. The tawny owls have nested at Beech Stump for the past two years, (they are early nesters and had already left by the time Gylfie & Finn moved in last year) and are not going to give it up without a fight.

Owls fight

The tawny owl pair attack Gylfie & Finn, who retreat back to Elm Stump.

Season begins

After two months of searching for the perfect nest, with the tawny owls still in Beech, Gylfie's decision is made for her. Elm Stump is the only option left.

Courtship

Now the nest is decided, it's time to start a family. The two barn owls are inseparable, and Finn rarely leaves Gylfie’s side.

Gylfie lays first egg

At the start of May, Gylfie begins contractions. Finn looks on, concerned, but then falls asleep and misses the moment the first egg is laid.

Curious male

Finn has been a father before, but he's still curious about it all. As Gylfie goes on to lay three more eggs, he can't stares at each in wonder and even tries to incubate.

Incubation

Unlike most birds of prey, barn owl eggs are incubated as soon as they’re laid. This means Gylfie is almost entirely reliant on her barn owl mate Finn to support her. Thankfully he is very attentive and brings regular food deliveries.

Barn owl eggs

Barn owls lay eggs with 23 day intervals and Gylfie lays like clockwork until the clutch is complete.

Next time

Subscribe to my channel to see the chicks as they hatch and follow the story of this adorable barn owl family.

ABOUT ME
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I am Robert E Fuller, a British wildlife artist based in Thixendale, North Yorkshire, UK. I build habitats to encourage extraordinary wildlife into my garden and use nest cams to study their fascinating daytoday lives. These studies inform my paintings. I share the best of my video research on this channel for free.

Or, of course, 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!

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CHAPTERS
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00:00 Barn Owl Nest Hunt
01:21 Ash Stump Nest
01:53 Beech Stump Nest
02:19 Barn Owl vs Tawny Owl
03:00 Gylfie & Finn Visit Nest
03:53 Tawny Owl Attack!
04:52 Nests Decided
06:14 Finn Discovers Tawny Owl Egg
06:55 Gylfie Fights Kestrel
07:34 Barn Owls Finally Settled
08:35 1st Egg Laid
09:29 Finn Provides Food
10:31 2nd Egg
11:32 Eggs 3 & 4
12:07 Next Time…

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© Robert E Fuller

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