Plant Pot Owl

Well PPO isn't ready to give up on her eggs just yet by the looks of things. She is actually back in the pot on her eggs and still trying to hatch them. I have just checked the FB page and Tracey is now turning the cam off tomorrow morning SA time. She wants it to be private for PPO to either stay or leave her eggs but updates will be posted. PPO is one heck of a mamma who hasnt yet given up hope, which is lovely but also a shame for her. A few posters on FB would like the cm left on as they enjoy watching PPO, I understand that but I think PPO also needs the peace.....I will miss watching her though, I have spent many hours lately just keeping watch on her with fingers crossed.
Here she is this evening.

littlewid-x-

Sad but inevitable LW, just had a final check, and there's no change she's still in the same position. So I'll leave yours as the final pic this year.
WS

Thanks for checking WS, she remains in the same position this morning and I imagine when I get in from work the cam will be down for this year. I really hope PPO leaves the pot soon as this cant be doing her any good at all.
littlewid-x-

news but I really think Tracey should turn the cam off now and let PPO do what she needs to do which is sadly leave those eggs.

Lai

PPO's Cam is now closed down
There will be updates from Tracy I believe as, and when there is news, on PPO's FB Page on this link
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pot-Plant-Owl/148721154229

WS

Thanks for the link WS - I have 'liked' PPO's FB page now for updates.

Lai

Thanks for the link WS,I should have posted it earlier really but got so wrapped up in the cam I forgot, so thanks for doing it. I left Tracey a message on FB yesterday and now we can just keep a check for updates and hopefully as sad as it is, PPO will leave the eggs and move on and start enjoying her life.

littlewid-x-

Here are the latest updates on PPO & Pappa from Tracey on the Blog.


Wednesday, October 17, 2012
17 October and the cam is off
It's the end of this breeding season. It's strange to write 'breeding' season when no successful breeding occurred, but it is nonetheless, time to close the doors on the balcony nest for the time being.

Right now, I am in the process of gathering as much material as I can from owl experts and such like, to see what may have gone wrong, and what we can expect going forward.

Right now, we find ourselves in a Catch-22 situation.
Do we leave the eggs with PPO until she decides to abandon them (we are now day 47 of what should be an approx 30-32 day cycle of incubation)?
Or do we take the eggs away from her - they are clearly not viable - and allow her to get on with her life, and perhaps another breeding season?

If we leave the eggs, who do we benefit - science or PPO? There is evidence to suggest that the longer she sits on the eggs, the more energy she is using. Pappa is also expending a lot of extra energy by hunting for her.

If we take the eggs away, do we really benefit PPO, or do we just disrupt the natural cycle and possibly a recorded scientific observation? There is no doubt that where possible, one should never interfere with the natural order of things. Time and time again, Man has interfered with the view to 'saving or helping' something, and it has backfired - badly.

Something to think about. We will keep asking the experts questions and see what they come up with.

Will let you know.

Friday, October 19, 2012
19 October and my mind churns
One question that is playing over and over in my mind is:

How would this situation be playing out if PPO had chosen a 'normal' Spotted Eagle Owl nest i.e. a scraping in the ground, or a fork in a tree?

PPO would be closer to predators of all kinds if she was on the ground. Larger snakes would probably try to get the eggs. There may be animals such as dogs bothering her. In heavy rains, nests have been known to be washed away.

So if PPO had chosen a 'normal' nest, would she still be sitting on the eggs? She must know that there is no life in the eggs and therefore nothing is going to happen.

Is she staying longer on the eggs because of how safe her nesting area is - one storey up away from dogs and cats? No snakes have ever - touch wood - slid up the walls and onto the balcony before. We leave PPO alone so we are not a perceived threat to her at this stage.

As much as PPO and Pappa are left to their own devices on our balcony, the balcony is still an unnatural nesting site for them. When weighing up the pros and cons of taking the eggs away versus letting her continue to sit, surely we need to look at the actual site too?

Could this question suggest that the best thing to do at this point is to take the eggs away?

Monday, October 22, 2012
22 October - PPO Update
It's been an interesting and difficult owl season this year. As it is in Nature, there are ups and downs that we can't control no matter how much we'd like to.

The decision for us to switch off the webcam proved to be the best one to make. We had the opportunity last night of removing the eggs from the nest and opening up the two eggs, and they were both infertile.

There are a myriad of possible reasons why the eggs were not viable this year:
Perhaps one, or both, of the owls are infertile.
Perhaps toxins in the environment have caused am imbalance that is affecting fertility.
Perhaps the copulation period was rushed and didn't 'get the job done'.
Perhaps it is Nature's way of curbing the owl population numbers which have been on the increase in our area.

The good news is that Pot Plant Owl and Pappa are still making visits to their nest. They were both on the balcony in the early hours of this morning hooting to each other. PPO sits on her telephone pole nearby and we watch her hunt.

We don't believe that the owls will abandon the balcony nesting site - at least we hope that they don't. But of course, we can't be sure as they are wild and will do what they feel is right for them.

As a tribute to our owl family, we are making a 2013 calendar that will be ready by Friday 26th October.

Another little update today from Tracy said that she and Alan had put a lot of peat in the plant pot and over night either PPO or Pappa or both of them had had a great time flicking it all over the balcony it's great to know they are now having fun.
littlewid-x-

Thanks for the updates Littlewid, a really interesting read and I so hope they can gather more knowledge and information from owl experts. I love the idea of PPO and Pappa sorting out the peat

Lai

Glad you enjoyed the updates tracy and Aln so did the right thing and from the sounds of it PPO & Pappa are just fine. When there are more updates I will post them as I think it's nice to keep in touch with whats happening with them and Tracy and Alan so care for PPO & Pappa......plus I am addicted to them as well

littlewid-x-

Thanks LW. Really interesting to read the thought process's of Tracy, and Alan went through before coming to what I believe was the right decision. I dont believe PPO would have stayed on the eggs that long if the nest had been somewhere different. It's good PPO, and Pappa can now get on with thier lives, and hopefully return, and breed again next year.
WS

No further write ups on the blog but there is a lovely picture of PPO out hunting on the 24th October.



littlewid-x-

That's a great shot and lovely to see PPO doing what she should be doing now.

Thanks Littlewid.

Lai

Thanks LW brilliant that she is now out hunting for herself.
WS

Glad you all liked the picture of PPO, I did too and its great to see her doing normal owl things. I will keep a check on the blog and post news/updates as they appear about PPO & Pappa

littlewid-x-

A little FB update, PPO & Pappa have been back on the balcony again and up to their little game of flicking the soil from the plant pot all over the balcony again , they are a cheeky pair of but at least they are staying close and the non hatchings hasn't affected them which is lovely.

littlewid-x-

Thanks LW. Its great to know that they have'nt been put off by whats happened, and hopeully a good sign that they will breed naext year
WS

Tracy has also said that they got home the other day and she had a lie down on her couch, about an hour later her Parrots started kicking up a fuss and she looked outside to see PPO sitting in her pot,she went outside and watched her for a while and then PPO went and stood under a tree, she stayed their for a while and then all of a sudden, jumped into another pot that was on an ornamental bycicle in the garden and sat there for a while before flying off, Tracy says she doesnt know what possess her to do these things, but she is keeping everyone amused

littlewid-x-

An exciting update on PPO & Pappa, this was posted on the blog on the 13th November.



And then Tracy posted this on FB yesterday.

Just got back from holiday at the coast to find PPO very well, sitting on her two eggs. Pappa was very vocal last night - perhaps because we are getting close to the hatching date. Fingers crossed that the eggs, or at least one of them, are viable.

Wouldn't it just be lovely for PPO and Pappa if these eggs or one of them was viable this time and I think Tracy has made a good call not to put the cam back on yet until she is sure there are chicks.

I will keep checking for updates and let you all know how things are going.

littlewid-x-