The female roosted near the arch again this evening and flew out early in the warm temperature. She met the male but ended up going her own way to the west side of the drive.
She went down to the lawn into a group of snowdrops, possibly getting an earthworm. She then flew across the drive back to the Loch. She flew over the road only a foot above it. It was easy to see how an owl could get hit by car traffic in the park.
I arrived after fly out to find both owls in the area of the stream where the trees overhang the water. The male was hunting and the female was calling. She even went down to the ground and got into the snow for a few minutes.
They ended up moving to the trees on the east side of the stream and it looked as though the male brought a mouse to the female, but it was hard to determine for sure. Our new male looks to be finally getting with the program.
The night started with the alert female on the bridge. I took a long movie of her to document what the wake up process was like.
She flew off into the Loch when it got dark. They both went off to the branches and trees near the cavity by the damaged rustic bridge. They head rubbed, copulated and both spent time in the cavity. I need to watch this cavity one night to see if the male is roosting in it and guarding it during the day.
Tonight, it was back to the familiar, even with all of the snow on the ground. Whinnies and Trills, copulation and then lots of whinnies from the female. The activity we saw was around the familiar spots at the southern end of the Loch, including some calling from near the cavity she used a few weeks ago.
The city had a major snow storm last night and into today. The female was in her cavity by the arch, and she was the only one to be heard or seen this evening. She gave one small call before flying out, and then went due west across the road at a very low height. She then went slowly up the hill that is on the north shore of The Pool.
She inspected a cavity and then went into some brush where we lost her. With the snow cover and cold temperatures, I wonder if eating was all she was worried about.
It will be interesting to see what happens as it warms up later in the week.
The female was using the small broken tree cavity by Glen Span Arch this evening. She jumped up while I was on the bridge in response to owl tapes played by an owl tour leader. I was able to call out for him to stop and brought the group up to the bridge, but she was already disturbed and calling out.
She settled down, flew out and was joined by the male at the bottom of the arch. They went around the area of the old nest cavity. She peeked in once again and they both copulated nearby.
They then went back towards Glen Span Arch, flew through it and off to the west side of the arch.
