Noord Brabant - 2011 / multiple cams

[Kinderchick]

Yes, I have loved watching these cams. I especially enjoyed the storks.

[Ellie]

Ever since I started here on the forum, I have been also watching Beleefe De Lente.  The Stone owls are priceless. Eagle owls come next on my list.  Haven't watched the other cams much but do check into them on occasion.  The Stone Owls I believe are what we call Screech Owls!  This is a great site and the owls are soooo cute!!!

[Linder]

We'll wait and see what next year brings us.

[Kinderchick]

Thanks for "sitting" these sites, bcf and for all of your updates for the season. Much appreciated.

[birdcamfan]

Finally this site is all wrapped up. The 2 "baby" storks have fledged beautifully and uneventfully. Their webcam is still active but I expect only for a short time. Great season in Noord Brabantall and all. I'm praying that another year for Pa and S2 is coming. Theirs is one of my favorite Peregrine sites.

[cadria]

Hi everyone!  This website has some great webcams!  I went to check things out, and while the Eurasian Eagle Owls have grown, they have put together a really nice 5 minute clip.  Amazing little raptors!

http://www.beleefdelente.nl/oehoe

If you want a smile for your day, check it out.

[Kinderchick]

Checked this site again today (while I was in the midst of keeping track of Brandon) and I missed the last baby owl fledging...

Aw, sorry to hear that you missed the last baby owl fledging, Ellie. I know that it can be disappointing to miss seeing something about the birds that you have been waiting to see. I missed seeing the Calgary chicks being banded by about 10 mins. last week. But you're right, at least, there's usually a video to watch later.

[Ellie]

Checked this site again today (while I was in the midst of keeping track of Brandon) and I missed the last baby owl fledging.  So glad they have videos of all the goings on.  He/she was so cute just before he flew off. Good luck to these two.

[Ellie]

Stenuil chicks are at the fledging stage.  One has left already and one is not quite ready.  Maybe it was hatched a few days later.  They are such cute babies and so fun to watch with their head on a swivel. Right now the last one looks like he has a white moustache. The videos are great to watch if you haven't been able to follow them on a regular basis.  These chicks are still contending with the Doves that feel they should be able to build a nest in the owls porch.  The first to fledge actually had to defend himself against the Dove and I believe he actually left before he was quite ready to do so.  Hopefully he has survived and doing well.

[Kinderchick]

... They easily swallow a mouse or rat whole...

Yikes! I guess that's an owl for you!

[birdcamfan]

An update:
The 2 Stone Owl chicks have really grown and are now close in size to the adult. They easily swallow a mouse or rat whole. They are just starting to grow their flight feathers and are just too cute. They have started to try to jump up to the entrance hole which leads to the corridor and to the outside. Once up there, they usually fledge pretty quickly.

The 2 remaining stork chicks are almost adult size and have their beautiful plumage. They stand up most of the time now and have begun wingercizing. If I recall from last year, they are not in a big hurry to fledge...maybe because they are so big??

There were 6 barnswallow eggs in the monitored nest. The female barnswallow seemed exhausted (according to the blog) and eventually several of the chicks died. They think there are 3 chicks left and they are now being well fed. They did a count of the barnswallows in the barn and found that most were males who sit in their nests in a sullen mood! There is a shortage of both food and females at this site.

All 7 Nuthatches "fledged" on June 4 and 5th. The blogger reports that they are in the garden close to the nest box and are being fed by the parents. It seems they fall rather than fledge from the nest and are supported on the ground by the parents.

[birdcamfan]

The stoneowls have 2 hatches. 1 egg was carried out into the corridor leading into the nest (visable from that cam) and the other was pushed out and abandoned in the nestbox. With the concerns about drought and food supply, this may be a good thing...lots of food for the 2 chicks who appear to be thriving.

The storks are growing like weeds and have started to grow their black wing feathers. They can all stand up now and have started to "wingersize"

The barn swallows have 6 eggs and contue to incubate.

The nuthatch chicks (7 of them at last count) are growing and have sprouted fuzz so they look like tiny sasquatches. I'm sure they will be much cuter in a week or two. They are quite visable when the parents come in with food.

The kingfishers have been copulating in front of the camera. I have never watched them in previous years so I am not sure if it is normal for them to be starting a nest now or if they are just having fun!

[moka]

Ellie, I agree with you. The stone owl chicks and adults are very pretty.  Poor barn owls, they are so ugly they are attractive in a weird way.

I've not yet managed to see the chicks, they are all snuggled under mom. I should have known something was happening when I saw the appearance of food in the nest.

[Ellie]

The Barn Owls are quite ugly all the time(so I think).  Hadn't noticed the Stone Owl chicks being that way............but maybe I didn't watch them as closely when they started growing up.  Guess all animals have the "gangly" years!

[birdcamfan]

The Stone Owl chicks are so funny; cute at first, then they get really ugly, then cute again as they develop.