Here are some blind contour drawingsย of the two owls that are living in the box in the backyard.
A while back, I bought a cheap Gosky spotting scopeย with a smartphone adapter that let me take photos with my old iPhone SE. I keep it on the desk in my studio pointed at the box, but up until a week or so ago, I had to go out there to take photos manually or run the phoneโs timelapse function.
Tonightโs ? ? footage really has it all: a ? visit, grooming, and flights #coconuttheowl pic.twitter.com/qkjmAppkCg
โ Austin Kleon (@austinkleon) February 1, 2023
It occurred to me what I really needed was a 24/7 stream of the box. That led me to AlfredCamera, an iOS app that turns your old iPhone into a security camera. Itโs a little buggy, and the image quality isnโt the best, but having 24/7 coverage with motion sensing and a low-light filter and the ability to play back footage has meant that Iโve gotten to witness all sorts of owl behavior I wouldnโt get to see otherwise.
The most adorable moments are when theyโre perched in the box side-by-side, getting ready for their night of murder. Watching them try to squeeze into the opening is a great source of comedy:
Watching these two try to share the box at night is quite the comedy
? ? pic.twitter.com/iuLmb5r57K
โ Austin Kleon (@austinkleon) January 31, 2023
As for whether they stick around or not, weโll just have to see.
If they do stick around, they often mate by the end of the month. Mama will lay eggs in March, at which point Papa will move about 14-20 feet away from the box to keep an eye on things. Once the owlets hatch, Papa will move closer, about 7-10 feet away, and in June the owlets will fledge.
You can see owl updates on Twitterย or in my Instagram stories.