Our Man Mel on Patrol

Mel is watching for his family, guarding them from intruders. What a hero he is!! And he is such a good provider; he keeps his famowly well fed.

Last words from the rat: "What owl?"

Updates from the front (and back) of the Owlboxes

Oh, SkatrPie, where have you been all my life?

Click on chart to
enlarge

30 Owlettes in the Nest and 13 Eggs Waiting to Hatch.

As we transition from anxiously awaiting the news to knowing it all (do we really?), we must take a moment to lament the apparent lack of viability of Bonnies eggs # 6, 7, & 8, now Angel Eggs.

Joyous news on the other wing for Owlivia & Owliver and Lucy & Ricky with the hatching of Zippy and Darla respectively. (at 33 and 34 days it appears with more news expected from both boxes. You go Girls!!)

Pepper sneaked in a second egg when our last report went to press and no doubt will do that one more time. Thank you Pepper in advance!

Stay Safe, Richard

[Photos and Report from the Front by Ms. Rumsey]

Huge Growing Owlets

Syd's babies are growing like weeds, as shown in these screenshots by Owlluver101. Sort of have that nekkid baby look still, but I spy pin feathers. Before long we will be renaming them Fuzzybritches.

HORK On Us And We'll Tell MOM!

 

Mom goes out for a little fly-about and the
fluffballs start shuffling for best position
in the OwlBox...except the one in the back
has other things in mind...like, which of her
siblings to bless with regurgitated GopherGutz!
Making me hungry for - UH, hmmm, not good, not good.

{1SleepySkatrPic}

Another Night in Paradise

 

 

Syd: "Excuse YOU? Where's my treat?"

Mel: "Just had it, Syd,
my yummy girl! See Ya, Sweets!"

"MEL! Treat for me or bye-bye Whoopie!
This 'WHAM-BAM THANK YOU, MAM' stuff gotta stop, MEL!
I am soooo tired...six squirmy owlets BELOW me; you on TOP o'me,
...no rest for the weary, Mel, none...now bring me a treat, please."

Mel: "Coming back with treats, my Sweet"
Flies off as Syd sleepily gathers her mobile fluff-balls,
settling softly upon them, closes her eyes...dreams of flying, wind in her face,
through the cloudless, star-struck spring night air and...ZZZzzz...zzzz.......

Good Night, dear Syd, catch those zzz's while you can!

{SkatrGO TO BED NOW pic}

Mel's Bonding "AfterGlow"

 

"That was some mighty fine lovin'
what a good night to be Mel,
I just love being me!"


{1SkatrPic}

Our Mel

 

Another Hatch for Owlivia

Owlivia welcomes "ZIPPY", hatched at 10:13am 2/27/11. Not sure which one of these is Zippy; looks like a pile of babies to this reporter. One more egg left to hatch. Congratulations, Livvy!!

Mrs. Starr has her wings full these days

It's a little hard to see these chicks but if you look very carefully, she's got quite a brood. A little one is trying to get in on the photo shot, underneath his/her sibling. They are aggressive little eaters too. Keep up the good work, Mrs. Owl.

Screen shot by moi.

New photos from Owlluver

Squeeee! Mommy hugging her babies. I mean really, could it get any sweeter??

At long last, Sydney gets a chance to catch a few zzzzzzzz's. She's such a busy mom taking care of all those little ones; no wonder she is "zonked".

Thanks to Owlluver for these fantastic shots.

Offering to MODS Who Need Sun in Their Lives

These are dark, wintry days for many of us,
literally and figuratively: MODS are having
some hard times, sticking together, supporting
one another...

This, too, shall pass: Here Comes The Sun.
We will soon be illuminated in warmth and love.
No one does it better than George.

For all of us,
From 1SkatrPie: You are MY Sun!

Mother and Child Moment...

 

{SkatrGO TO BEDpic}

Mel, I'm Preened and We're Hungry...

 

Lovely Syd discovers the challenges of keeping
her feathers preened and her countenance youthful
while SIX squirmy, squeaky owlets scurry about
beneath the luscious warmth of her downy bottom...
Can she get a snuggle, Mel?



{1Skatr up too late pic}

Get Well Wishes to Candles!!!

The MOD gang sends you its best wishes for a speedy recovery. Please come visit us sometimes on your blog!! We is doing our best to keep it up and running. I'm sure Yum Yum sends horks and hisses and guinea pig kisses. And for coming through your procedure with flying colors, you definitely get DING DING DING!!!!

Da MODs may be ailing, but the spirit ain't failing!!

Hey there, Cutie Pie!!

Priceless shot by our own Yvonne Nieves, photographer extraordinaire. Sydney has such beautiful eyes!!

Thanks Yvonne for allowing us to reprint your photographs on the blog.

Update from the Front; we have a dud

At Bonnies dancehall, early morning, she is seen considering the pantry stock. OMD an egg in the pantry!! Diners are overheard: "..egg in a hole, please." , "its toast, that's what I say!", "Bonnie, need some gravy on that!" and the final insult, "Its just tasteless."
Wait till Clyde comes home, he'll get in a lick or two for this!!

Late breaking report from the front, by our own Richard Engel.

and the winner is...

I know the owlbox came unfurnished but could you sit somewhere else?
(themauimom​53)

This week's other finalists are:

Would somebody please turn out the sun. We're trying to get some sleep in here.
(jennifero2​000/owlycats)

Stop yer whinin'. Tomorrow, I'll be the bench...promise! (BarretGal)

Ash, will you check and see if I have a tan line yet? (Jrenka)

Congratulations to all!

A very tired Sydney; she had a busy day

Dinky Di, Sydney just has to take a snooze after welcoming baby #6. Not sure who that is under her chin, but they are in dueling snooze positions. Looks like that owlet ate some nice greasy grimey gopher guts; oh, Hork!! How disgustifying!!

Congrats Syd on producing a heck of a brood. And welcome to the world, little Dinky. May all your horks be big ones.

WELCOME, DINKY!

 

A proud but tired Syd settles
in for a nap following the
magnificent hatching of our
sixth egg, Dinky!

Well done, Syd, even if Barbie
insists on her beauty nap during
the hatch...

And now there are SIX!
GONNA HAVE SOME FUN...WHOOP!

WHOOP!

{Ya, that's right, pic by SkatPie}

P.S. YIKES! WE FIGURED IT OUT!
PRESS ON THE PIC TO MAKE IT LARGE,
YA, THAT'S IT! BRILLIANT.

Oh Dear, It's Dinner Time and We Have Company, Sweethearts!

 

 

 

Syd realizes that it's time to show
some real, down home Aussie hospitality
to their guest, NBC Correspondent, Richard Engel.

She looks everywhere for a little sumpin'-sumpin'
to serve as a delectible appetizer...AH! Those
little rascal owlets are holding out on her,
they're snuggling their dinner! Which would
do quite nicely...

Syd reaches for it..."Down Under"

{Photos by, Yeah ENOUGH ALREADY!}

Syd Shows Richard Hospitality, Aussie Style!

 

 

Aussies are world renown for their
unparalleled hospitality to visiting
"embedded journalists" but somehow,
Richard's childhood terror of unseen
little mice scurrying above his room
in the attic all night came back while
he was in Libya...?

Syd, good on ya, mate, you tried.
Now throw one to the Barbie!

{1SkatrPicsOfRichard&Owl...sigh}

A FACE ONLY A MOTHER (BARN OWL) COULD LOVE...

 

Owluver 101 caught this captivating "First HORK"
for us all to share. What an "Awww, how adorable!"
moment, gosh, too sweet...so pretty...don't you
wish YOU were sitting on top of one of these?

(If so, please call the nearest Crisis Line in
your area and let us know where they took you.)

Thanks Owluver, you NAILED this one!

"MOM! Watch Where You Step!"

 

 

{1SkatrPiePic}

"Now dear, eat the meat, not my beak, please..."

 

MODDIES, YOU CAN ENLARGE ANY OF THE BLOG
PHOTOGRAPHS SIMPLY BY PRESSING A BUTTON.
Of course we don't know which one, but...
the pictures will explode in living color!
It's true, honest.

And...


Now that we've got Barbie and her
four siblings, only ONE EGG to go!
G'day Mates and Matrons (?!?)

{1SkatrPic}

CANTON COWBOY: THE SHERIFF'S BACK IN TOWN.

 

Well, if it ain't gone to his head,
PapaPie Carl Partridge has received
his "official uniform" from Lori and
ain't he got a swagger?

His "grandpigs" are so eager to be
held (READ: pee on it!) by their
grandpa...that we decided to post the
shirt in its pristine state before
grandpigs have their way with it.

Carl, better known as the Canton Cowboy,
IS IN THE HOUSE!

BEHAVE.
NEVAH BEHAVE.
HE never does!

All is Well in Sydney's Owl Box

Sydney is sleeping peacefully today, with her little owlet under her chin. How sweet is that, I ask you!! Lots of treats surround them, so lunch will be served later.

Thanks to Lori G. for a great screen shot!!

Syd Ready for Sleep...

 

Our sweet Syd is worn out after her new
experiences in Motherhood (exhausting)
so she catches a few zzzzzz's before Mel
brings in fresh catch o'the Night and the
little ones wake to discover they are
ravenously hungry for food while Mel is
ravenously hungry for Syd!

{Photo by 1SkatrPie}

Notes from the Field--Richard Engel

(Click on chart to enlarge)

Things have been really tough here, but we have the enemy cornered there’s time for wine and cheese, and smoke em if you got em. Meanwhile we are all keeping a low profile and counting the minutes till the next hatch.
Salt and Pepper have joined the brigade of parenthood with their first egg.
Willow and Mrs. Owl at Starr Ranch are moving into the second phase of raising owlettes, all eggs gone wherever eggs go.
Sadie, sadly, is still off camera, and we will drop her from our articles. We assume all is well, she is just not ready for the publicity.
Lucy and Ricky have lost the color camera because of cable problems in bad weather and heavy pounding (in the box), the outlook is, well, black and white. We’ll keep an eye on that of course. But Ricky was quoted as saying, ”Babaloo”…and something about the 50’s.

Wishing you well, I am your Richard.

[Received via satellite by Ms. Rums]