Tawny Owl nest box diary

This spring we will be following the trials and tribulations of a pair of Tawny Owls using a nest box in Cambridgeshire via a video diary. This nest box has been used by a pair of owls every year for the last twenty-five years but it is thought that the pair this year are using it for the first time. The birds took ownership of the box earlier in the winter and were seen to mate at the box on 25 January. The first egg was laid on Sunday 28 February with the second following in the early hours of 3 March. Follow these birds throughout the breeding season by viewing updated video clips here.

Mating	28 February	1 March	3 March	8 March	3rd egg	4th egg
Visitor	Turning eggs	Squirrel visit	19 March	Starling visit	Squirrel v Owls	24 March

LATEST UPDATE
31st March 2010 - Sad news
During the early part of the week the female abandoned the nest box. With the loss of the male she faced an impossible task. Juggling her time with incubating the eggs and feeding herself, hunger eventually took over.

The BTO’s Nest Records Survey shows that around 8% of monitored Tawny Owl nests fail at the egg stage. Tawny Owls that fail early in the season can often try again. Our female is still around and can be heard calling. In doing this she is advertising for a new mate and if successful could well try again in the next few weeks. Watch this space!

If you have any birds nesting in your garden you can take part in the BTO’s Garden Nesting survey.

If you can't play these video clips, you will need the latest Flash player. Download and install the latest Flash player.