Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Place your bets - 21 March

A few more sightings of Pot Plant Owl and Pappa, and we hear them a lot, especially in the wee hours of the morning. Pot Plant Owl still scrapes in both pot plants, so there's more soil for us to pick up in the morning. Given the unusual behaviour of PPO in choosing her nest this year, I think we should have a friendly wager on which pot she chooses, and more importantly, WHY. You can leave your vote in the comments section of this blog. Who knows! We might even throw in a prize for the best answer. Photos of each pot plant will be uploaded in the next few days. To make it easier for you, I'm going to include the Pros and Cons of each potential pot plant nest (what a tongue twister!). I'll keep updating when / if I see PPO's behaviour change. The nest that we know already will be called "Original" and the other choice of nest will be "The Imposter". Okay no, just kidding. Let's call it "New Crib". Here are some Pros and Cons for each one: Original Pros - The original, the one, the only! Closer to our garden and less of a drop if a chick falls off the balcony (it has happened!). Perfect view for webcam to go up close and zoom out when needed Cons - Lack of shade / protection from the tree in the container New Crib Pros - "Variety is the spice of Life". The smaller bush provides more shade and protection for PPO when she sits on the eggs Cons - The smaller bush will take up valuable space and there will be no room for chicks. Alternatively, the chicks will make their own room by trampling the bush If PPO can't decide which pot plant to choose, maybe we can help choose it for her.

10 comments:

  1. Hello Tracy and Allan! My vote is for the "original" pot. I'm going with the :go with what you know" theory. I am looking forward to the next clutch! HummerDad

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  2. I can't wait to see them again!!!!

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  3. Hi! I'm going with 'Original Pot' LOL! Really looking forward to watching again - particularly as I 'met' a Spotted Eagle Owl called Erica last weekend at an Owl Encounter I went to - absolutely stunning!! Thank you so much for doing this again and letting us know whats happening :D

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  4. I vote for the original - Pot Plant Owl and Poppa thought is was great before why move? Maybe something can be erected to assist with the shade - I know you guys had a fun time trying to put up an umbrella lol. By the way the book is so fabulous and I must give 10 stars for the quality of the photos. I pick it up quite often just to get my owl fix. Tracy and Allan you guys rock!

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  5. I am sure PPO will choose the original, it will be safer. She is so careful with her family, I am sure she will go with the old one. She is just thinking of a new "Look" for *her* balcony:-) Looking forward to photos to come!

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  6. I vote for original! Hoo knows, Ok, no groans please, lol, why they potentially want to nest in the other pot, but safety is key! You have ALWAYS gone above and beyond to provide a safe environment for them but any addition measures, even just the location being a better one, is monumental! Safety for all owlets are the reason I choose original!

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  7. I think I will go with the "New Crib", my reasoning is this: Leaf protection also means protection from larger birds that might want to take an egg or hurt the owlets, protection for PPO while she is sitting and tending to her babies, she can see what is coming because her back is to the wall, wait I am not sure if the pot is up against the wall? and she does not want us to watch her any longer. BOO HOO!!

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  8. I can see PPO's attraction to the new pot if the bush provides a larger canopy to shade her babies and keep them out of sight of fly-by predators, but my vote is for Original Pot Plant. You know the saying: "The devil you know is better than the one you don't". From what you have described, there are fewer perils in the old Home Sweet Home. It will be interesting!
    Scratch...scratch...scratch...:*))

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  9. Hi Tracy and Allan!
    Ditto Breezy about the original pot!
    As I already told on FB, your book is really a must to me, love it a lot.

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  10. I say original but PPO knows best and we may just have to go with it !!

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