Barn owls Tommy and Tuppence nested in an owl box installed in a backyard in Rancho Bernardo, California. In December 2010, they were found in the box with Tuppence laying eggs starting in January. By late February, six eggs had hatched including chicks named Soren and Eglantine. While the chicks grew, their parents provided food. By early April, Soren and Eglantine were flying. A month later, they left the nest. Tommy and Tuppence may lay another clutch of eggs in late 2020 or early 2021.

1. Barn Owls of Rancho Bernardo, California

2. Over 200 owl species in the
world
Most belong to the Strigidae
family
Barn owls belong to the
family Tytonidae
Scientific name “Tyto alba”
means “white bird”
The other common owl in
Southern California is the
Great Horned Owl

3. They control rodents which
carry diseases and destroy
crops and gardens
Nesting pair can eat 2000
rodents in a nesting season
Encouraged to nest nearby
Holes made in barns or other
structures
Owl boxes secured to trees or
put on top of tall poles
Attractive
Large eyes / heart-shaped face Barn Owl Drawing - 1508

4. Wingspan of about 4 feet
Can’t move their eyes in their
sockets, but can turn their
heads 270 degrees
Up and down / left and right
Excellent night vision
Best hearing of any animal on
earth
Offset ears in satellite dish face
Completely silent flight
Comb-like front edge on outer
feathers

5. On our backyard hillside
Fifteen feet high
Next to pine and palm trees
Allows a “glide path” to
the entrance
Two wireless network cameras
“Fledge”
Platform
Safe
and dry

6. Owl box installed 9/16/2010
Screeching heard and two owls
circling at night Dec. 4, 5 and 6
Morning of 12/7 we find Tuppence
In the box all day, gone all night
The Dec. 13th “Owl Tantrum”
“Young female owls imprint a
new home in their minds by
‘cleaning it up’ – screeching and
scratching at the floor and the
walls with their talons.”
Tom Stephan

7. Evening of Dec. 14th we found
Tommy in the box with Tuppence
They went off later to go hunting
But after that, both stayed together
in the box during the day
Barn owls stay with the same mate
for life
And they are very
affectionate
towards one
another

8. Rest of December
Together in the box during the day
Sleeping, standing on one leg
Early evening, she would “hen peck” him out
the door to go hunting
The “treats” he brought back were quickly
devoured
Jan. 6th “nesting activity” begins with owl
pellets

9. On Jan. 8th the camera showed the first egg
Tommy seemed proud
Tuppence seemed clueless
Night picture shows nest of pellet material
New eggs are laid every 2 days
Barn owls can lay up to 16 eggs!
Tommy often guarded the door between
hunting trips to stock the “pantry”
A total of six eggs were laid by Jan. 21st

10. Barn owls eggs take about 30 days to hatch
Tuppence’s job is to keep the eggs warm and safe
Tommy’s job is to bring her food
Often, while on the nest, Tuppence will groom
Barn owls must keep their feathers clean
Tuppence must keep eating to stay healthy
Adult barn owls often swallow rats and even
rabbits whole!

11. On February 9th we welcomed the first barn
owl chick into the world
How “Soren” and his sister got their names
How Mommy Tuppence feeds her new chicks
The chicks hatch every two days
At first they have no feathers and their eyes are
closed
When not feeding them Tuppence keeps
them warm with her “brood patch”
Look at all the food in the pantry!

12. Downy feathers begin to grow and so does
the noise level in the box
Owl chicks start out making faint “snores”
That changes to hisses and scratching calls when
food is delivered to the box
The chicks also become more active
They can lift their heads and move around
Sometimes Mommy can keep them under her
brood patch (especially that Soren)
Mommy will leave the box to stretch her
wings, but not for very long

13. Barn owl chicks double in size every couple of days
As they grow, they get more demanding to be fed
At first Mom feeds them
Then they try to feed themselves (especially if Mom isn’t in the box)
And in not too long, they are swallowing rodents whole!
[ Videos can be found on:
www.OwlBeSeeingYou.com ]

14. It takes two months for an owl chick’s feathers to grow out so
that they can fly

15. Six eggs were laid, but only two chicks
survived, Soren and Eglantine
Two chicks died shortly after hatching
One chick was just too small to get its
share of food
One chick looked healthy but died
suddenly, probably of a virus
In nature, very few barn owls live to be
a year old
That’s why they lay so many eggs
Soren and Eglantine turned out to be
fun loving siblings!

16. Right on schedule (about two months after hatching – early April)
the chicks were flying around the box and in the nearby trees
Their parents would go off with them, teaching them to hunt
One month later, they were both gone for good

17. Tuppence has been in the box on and off for the last few weeks
Sometimes, like yesterday, both owls were in the box
It appears likely there will be another clutch of eggs laid, probably in
December or January

18. Visit Tommy and Tuppence’s Website
Where you can:
• See last year’s journal and videos (Chapter 1)
• See this year’s journal and videos (Chapter 2)
www.OwlBeSeeingYou.com