Jollyville is the home of Olivia and Alton,
a pair of Eastern Screech Owls who raise their babies in a nest box with
cameras. They don't seem to mind, and we all enjoy watching!
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| Olivia At Home |
Olivia lives in the nest box most of the year and raises her babies there. She leaves the box when the last owlet fledges. She and Alton continue to care for the owlets and the family spends the summer together. During this time, Olivia and Alton teach the babies to fly and to hunt for themselves.
At the end of the summer, the new
owlets move on to find their own territories. Olivia returns home to her
box and lives her life until it is time to lay eggs again and raise owlets in
the spring.
Alton doesn't like to stay in the
box and so we don't see him in the fall. He will start to come by
sometime in January or February. He courts Olivia and then provides food
for the family while Olivia is sitting on eggs and caring for babies. He has
occasionally been chased into the box by harassing blue jays, but doesn't like
staying there.
The owlets arrive in the spring.
After eggs are laid there are 28 - 32 days until the hatch begins. The
owlets grow up fast and fledge in another 28 - 30 days.
See the directory at the top right for additional information and videos available for
your enjoyment.
