Sunday, October 10, 2010

Sunday 10 October

Wow! Did anyone see that? It's 16h10 Central African Time - sunny, hot day here in Johannesburg. All the normal gardens birds are out still eating and bathing etc.

We were sitting downstairs when I suddenly saw out of the corner of my eye, the large outstretched wings of an owl swoop up towards the balcony. Thinking that Pot Plant Owl had left the balcony to drop a pellet, I went upstairs to the hide in our bedroom. I looked out of the windown and there was Pot Plant Owl sitting in a far pot plant. I looked towards the chicks and couldn't believe my eyes! There was Pappa (the father) sitting on the lip of the pot plant with the 3 chicks. One chick looked to be eating a lizard with a tail sticking out of its mouth.

In three years, we have never seen Pappa come in during the day and feed the chicks. Once or twice, we have seen him fly to the nest or around the nest, protecting it from crows, but never flying in during the daytime with food.

I'm hoping someone saw the actual catch he brought in. If you saw it, please let us know. It didn't look like a bird to me, and it had a tail that I could see. I'd be really interested to find out.

So there you go. Even when you think you've seen it all, you are proven wrong. Keep watching - its so much fun!

7 comments:

  1. oh what a shame, I would also like to view, I'm curious.
    I looked vanaf about 20h tonight, what a storm.
    Moments earlier, I saw the three little ones, and before the rain started I think two owls?
    I believe mom and dad?
    Now I hear raindrops, and crickets I think. ( 21:06 )

    gr.
    Fleur

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  2. 21:13
    a parent calls, oh beautiful, and clearly the begging of a young

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  3. Hello Allen and Trace

    one question:
    Last year I made the movies, are they still stored?

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  4. @maha: about 20.00 Dutch time (19.00 UTC)both parents were there when the wind came up, just before the thunderstorm.
    Suddenly some things blew over the nest and one of them kicked dad from the pot, he landed in the corner behind it. Mom also got something (looked like a large picture frame) over her, it's positioned behind the pot now.
    Here's a photograph where you can see it all: http://oi53.tinypic.com/9vl2dt.jpg
    Dad is hard to find on this photo, but can be seen when you look close. The thing that blew him away seems to be in the pot.

    A few moments later it went completely dark, only during the flashlights one could see that the cam blew a little out of position.

    Later this evening (23.53 UTC) i heard the begging of one of the chicks, as well as dad's hooting. Mom did not response.

    At this moment the wind blows hard again. I hope that the owls are alright and that there is no damage done to the house of Alan and Trace!

    When i write this, i hear a chick starts begging again, after dad called one or two times..

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  5. oops, the begging and hooting at 23.53 was Dutch time, 22.53 UTC

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  6. Thanks for all your comments.
    The thing that flew to the nest is a piece of plastic cover that we have over the outside light. We found it this morning so will put it up again tonight. The storms are going to get more frequent and more violent too - but everything is safe here. We hope that the hail does not fall on the chicks now - they are very young.
    Hi Fleur, no the video from last year unfortunately is not stored. It is a brand new system and webcam we are using this year. Hope you are keeping well.

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  7. ok, that's a pity.
    but with this new webcam it's great to watch.

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