Barn Owls Exhausted By Late 2nd Brood | Gylfie & Dryer | Robert E Fuller

Barn owls Gylfie & Dryer were exhausted whilst raising their second, late brood. But when this fatigue began to threaten their chicks' chances of survival, I felt I had to step in.

Filmed June-Sept 2024

Watch barn owls Gylfie & Dryer live on my nest cam:    • Live From Fotherdale | Robert E Fuller   & follow their story in this playlist:   • Barn Owls 🦉 Gylfie & Dryer | Wild Lives | ...  

ABOUT THIS FILM
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Barn owls Gylfie & Dryer have been working hard since April. Their first brood resulted in one chick, Uno, then they fostered a rescued chick, Lucky.

Barn owl chicks
The pair's latest chicks are 14, nine and four days old, and although I can never be 100% certain I believe these are the chicks from eggs one, three and five, which explains why the eldest chick is so much bigger than the youngest. This dominance means the youngest cannot compete.

Youngest chick perishes
As time passes, this young chick doesn’t look well. Gylfie keeps standing on it and the eldest chick even pulls at it. Eventually it seems to disappear from the nest and I suspect the worst. It's likely Gylfie has fed it to the other two chicks - a common practice among birds since it is a source of food and also avoids attracting predators.

Owls exhausted
But something is wrong. Gylfie begins to spend less and less time in the nest and Dryer no longer brings in much food. Also, the food he does delivers doesn't always go to the chicks. After already raising one brood, it looks as though both owls are now exhausted - and hungry. Watch Gylfie snatch a mouse intended for the chicks!

Chicks now in danger
Adults in poor condition will not care or provide for their chicks. Some consider this all part of nature’s cycle, but for me when owl populations are struggling from lack of nesting sites, habitat and food source, it's important to lend a hand.

How to help
Helping isn't easy. I can’t risk going to the nest, in case Gylfie flees, putting the two surviving chicks at even great risk, so, I decide to place supplementary food in nearby nests - enough for Gylfie, Dryer and the chicks. Dryer soon finds these and starts delivering to the nest and before long Gylfie returns to feeding the chicks .

Home alone
But when the chicks are old enough, Gylfie begins leaving them alone for longer than is usual. They are often by themselves day and night, and this doesn’t come without risk and one day some jackdaws find them.

Chicks grow
Over the coming weeks, the chicks grow, but now Gylfie rarely visits and when she does it's to steal their food. The chicks seem confused, calling for food, then snapping aggressively when she doesn't deliver. It's as though they are unsure who she is.

Looking after one another
With Gylfie absent, I deliver food straight to the nest and then I notice the older chick feeding the younger - it seems to be full, but it’s the thought that counts. Viewers on the channel name the chicks Autumn & Fall, to reflect the time of year.

Next time
Join me for the next chapter in the life of this barn owl family, when the chicks get their BTO ID rings and make their first flights.

CHAPTERS
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00:00 Introduction
00:59 This time
01:50 Oldest chick dominating
02:14 Youngest chick not doing well
03:33 Gylfie steals food
04:02 Helping the owls
06:03 Gylfie leaves chicks alone
07:45 Gylfie tries stealing food
09:10 Recap and next time

ABOUT ME
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I am a British wildlife artist and filmmaker on a mission to share my love for wildlife with the world. As well as creating detailed animal film and art portraits, I promote wildlife tours around the world and do all I can to help conserve and protect wildlife here at my home in Yorkshire. I hope that by putting nature in the frame I can foster a deep love for wildlife amongst my followers.

You may like to purchase my artwork: https://www.robertefuller.com. Many of my paintings are portraits of the characters you watch here!

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JOIN MY MISSION
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#robertefuller #barnowl #wildlives

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© Robert E Fuller

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