Mel is back inside the box today. He's probably going to take another 12 hour nap. LOL
I copied this entry from the blog.

Is it or isn't it Mel and Sydney?

Are they the owl couple who have been seen inside the kastle? That seems to be the elephant in the room. We know that this couple seem to be familiar with the box and the sounds of the camera moving. They maneuver the playground and surrounding area like this is home. The couple are also familiar with each other, unlike how a new pair would react upon forming a new bond.

So if Mel didn't meet his demise as some have speculated and left Sydney to raise and feed Adi & Hunter where she was unable to keep up and abandoned our babies and the nest, and move on to further territories, what is the answer?? Well.. there is no answer on why nature does what it does. Looking up page after page searching for the answer on Google, the research just isn't there to best answer that question.

From the Hungry Owl Project they too have had a similar issue with one of their boxes. Joe from the project checked with some of the foster and rescue crew about our situation. Come to find out it sounds like they have had a very similar situation with the parents at a nest feeding less and less and the project had to supplement. "Also the first time we've observed something like this." In their region of Northern Ca, they claim its been a really really weird year. Many owls who are normally very reliable nesters, nesting in the same boxes for many years, with multiple clutches a year are just not nesting this year. They've also had many reports of really small clutches, just a couple eggs vs the usual 6 or 7.

I don't think we will are know the reason why we had such a difficult clutch this year, we just have to respect it and perhaps learn from it, that things happen in nature that we as humans don't understand or have answers for. What we do know is that for sure our babies Adi and Hunter would have perished from lack of food and active parents to guide them and if it wasn't for kanga supplying the food and exercising a plan for training to teach them to hunt, they're would be two less owls in the free flying world.

Lets rejoice in the fact that if this is Mel and Sydney (many think it is), that they did not indeed perish and that they are well and perhaps will bring us a new clutch with a better outcome in the near future.

When I opened the site this morning I was surprised to see Sydney inside the box instead of Mel. She was wide awake and waiting for Mel to join her which he did, right before daylight. She immediately laid down and got into mating position but Mel was too sleepy I guess. He brought her no treat and passed on the mating. He went to stand beside her and promptly went to sleep.

Mel and Sydney have been asleep in the box all day long today. Every time I looked in on them they were rocking back and forth sound asleep. I couldn't resist getting a little more practice with my new movie maker program I'm trying to figure out. Sorry you're having to suffer through it with me. Hey! But every time I try it, I figure out something else I'm doing wrong! By Christmas 2014 I may have it down Pat, so to speak. ROFLMBO!!!

Flybys and vocals.


video by bb4dandylion

video by bb4dandylion

New video from bb4dandylion

Published on Dec 12, 2013 by bbdandylion

Syd came in just before midnight and staying the day too. Mel came by many times to entice her out LOL. This will show the first time and Lixons video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQnshP... shows more visits.

We have an owl in the box for the 2nd day in a row!

Mel & Sydney are heating things up in the box. Sydney was making horsey sounds (BUNNIE determined this and it was confirmed by R4) and Mel was beak snapping and stomping his feet at her. Strange dating rituals. I took a few snippys. LOL

12/17/13 Mel and Sydney Bond for the first time this year at 443am by bbdandylion

Mel and Sydney are back in the box for the day.

Mel and Sydney are back inside their box for the day! WooHoo!

Moobird is a mod there and she does the funniest summary of the night's events. Here's what she's posted about last night.

8:47 moobird: Mel and Sydney left 5:15p for the hunting grounds. Screeches heard 5:24p, 6:11p & 6:33p. An owl flew by deeting 8:08p. Both returned home 8:21p. They bonded 8:21p, 9:54p, 1047p & 11:55p.
8:47 moobird: While M&S were napping an UFO darted by 12:15a, M&S open their eyes, UFO landed in the tree, flew off, darted by a 2nd time 12:17a then M&S bolted out the door. They returned 12:37a,
8:47 moobird: left 12:39a, flew to the trees then departed. Mel returned 2:30a. Mel heard Syd’s distant screech 3:38a and began deeting. She landed on the Boom cam 3:39a, went in 3:40 & we think Mel
8:47 moobird: was a little distracted watching the door for he attempted bonding sideways. Way too funny. 5th day in a row Mel and Sydney are in for the day.
8:47 moobird: There is a 5th dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension vast in dreams & as timeless as infinity. This is the dimension of snoozing…an area which we call the Mel-light Zone.

Mel and Sydney continue to mate.........and mate.........and mate. Sydney constantly begs Mel to mate even when he just mated with her. She is VERY noisy and never seems to hush but somehow he sleeps through all the noise she's making. Moobird said at one point last night he just stood on her back and stared at the door. ROFLMBO! That girl wants eggs and she wants them now!

Here's a little Christmas jingle Moobird wrote about them.

Said the moderator to the chatters everywhere, Do you see what I see…A Mel, A Mel sleeping during the night, He will bring us smiles and delight, he will bring us smiles and delight.
Did you hear what I heard…A Mel, A Mel deeting to his Gal, Will she stop by and stay for a spell? Will she stop by and stay for a spell?
Do you know what I know…She’s home, she’s home, bonding did take place and soon she will be with an egg, and soon she will be with an egg.

I watched them watching something yesterday and made a little video. These two crack me up.