Quick recap
- Egg #4 laid this morning on cam2; clutch now 4 eggs.
- Immediate pair-bond display (bill touching/“kiss”) right after laying.
- Female settles into incubation posture; male attends, monitoring at the box entrance.
- Viewer note: There’s a noticeable gap between Egg #1 and Egg #4—perfectly plausible in barn owls, which often lay on an every 1–3 day cadence and can stretch longer with prey or weather variability.
Watch Live <— both cam1 and cam2
What the behavior means
- Bill touch / “kiss”: A bonding and reassurance cue often seen in raptors and owls—reinforces the pair during the taxing laying/incubation period.
- Nest attendance: Expect the female to remain more stationary, with the male increasing prey deliveries (mice/voles).
- Asynchronous hatch: Because owls start incubating early, hatching will likely be staggered, with oldest chicks hatching first and getting a head start.
Dont’ forget to sign up for nest cam updates if you haven’t already done so! 🦉
What to watch next
- Prey runs: Evening/overnight mouse runs from the male; listen for soft contact calls.
- Rollovers & turning: Female gently rotates eggs to keep embryos from adhering to membranes.
- Incubation exchange: Brief switch-overs when the male peeks in and the female stretches or preens.
- Pip watch: Mark your calendar for ~30–33 days from the first egg for pipping; successive pips will follow in order of laying.
