Silicon Valley Nature Cam announced a new contest that will help name the seven baby owlets soon to hatch live online in streaming video. The owl cam is located in Northern California and streams the activities of the Barn owls nesting there 24/7. There have been two sets of owls that utilize the nesting box, and for this season, the owl pair consists of Romeo and Juliet. Juliet laid seven eggs beginning on January 23, 2017, with the last egg laid on Feb. 4, 2017. The owl cam features Juliet’s nesting activities until hatch watch begins and the owlets make their grand arrival. The Silicon Valley Nature Cam naming contest is open until Friday, Feb 17, 2017. Viewers who have names for the owlets are invited to submit them via email. Once the names are collected, viewers will then vote and the owlets, once hatched, will receive their new names. You may watch the live owl came streaming online in the video playlist directly below. See below for another cam that shows the nestbox from the outside view. Those who want to submit names for the contest may do so via email at [email protected].
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzJSe9QnMPV9yxZo6JWV9zCOXUyLI3JXo
Here is a live streaming video cam of the owl house from the outside view in the yard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTtw5vDadS4
On Jan. 23, 2017, at 9:25 a.m., Juliette laid her first egg. The event was captured on video, and you may see that below. The second egg was laid two days later, on Jan. 25. at 10:06 a.m. Two days later, on Jan. 27, at 10:07 a.m, a third egg was laid. The surprise deliveries weren’t over and on Jan. 29, another two days following the last egg delivery, at 9:31 a.m., the fourth egg was delivered. Another two days later, Juliette laid an egg on Jan 31, at 10:35 a.m. This was her fifth egg. The sixth egg was laid on Feb. 2 at 12:37 p.m. Two days later, Juliette broke with her morning tradition of laying eggs and delivered the seventh egg on Feb. 4 at 7:16 p.m. Juliette spent 12 days laying eggs on an average of every other day. The owlets are expected to hatch anywhere after Feb. 22, 2017, so at that point, the official hatch watch will begin. It promises to be an exciting time with so many baby owlets on the way.
Video: Juliette Lays First Egg
According to the official Silicon Valley Nature Cam site, the live cam is up and running 24/7. They do not interfere with the cams and use infrared technology. The cams continue to stream during the night hours, but the owls are unaware or disinterested of the presence of the cams. Because owls are wild creatures and the nesting box is undisturbed by human activity, viewers may witness scenes of loss or brutality. The eggs and owlets are vulnerable when left in the box alone, and predators are always looking for an opportunity to strike. If something violent occurs, there is no human interaction. Though the owlets will hatch, and their activities streamed, it’s important to remember the baby owls are not pets. They will learn to fly, fledge the nesting box and live their independent lives. Romeo and Juliette, however; will most likely continue to use the nesting box for additional seasons.
The Silicon Valley Nature Cam has several dedicated viewers who monitor the live stream and make timed reports of important events that transpired. These reports are divided into early morning , midday and evening reports and chronicle each day’s activities. There are archived reports of past days and seasons as well.
Are you going to watch the live owl cam streaming online and participate in the contest? The official YouTube video site includes a chat room where you can ask the owners of the cam any questions you might have.
[Featured Image by Dagmara Ksandrova/Shutterstock]
