Molly the Owl on Live UStream w/Chat
I love webcams for birdwatching and I've recently become addicted to watching a family of Barn Owls raise their babies in California.
Molly the Owl on UStream
Molly, McGee, and four fluffy chicklets live in a birdhouse on top of a fifteen foot pole behind the house of a man named Carlos Royal. He points out in his description on UStream that these are fierce wild owls so it is sometimes not for the squeamish or if furry dead critters make you unhappy.
I came late to this so I didn't get to see the eggs hatch, but it was covered in the NY Times: Thousands Watch as Owlets Hatch in California Yard. The babes are named Max, Pattison, Austin and Wesley. Max can swallow a mouse whole now and when he stands up he is nearly as tall as Mommy.
And the fun part of a live cam is that anything can happen. The other night Molly disappeared for over an hour away from the birdhouse and when she returned she looked extremely bedraggled, which frightened people in the live chat. Turned out Mrs. Owl had just taken a quick bath somewhere and then had to dry out her feathers in order to reach maximum fluffiness again.
One more thing ~ These owls don't hoot, they shriek like banshees, so turn down the sound if you are watching in the middle of the night. Daddy McGee gets especially loud just before he plunks a rabbit or mouse into the house.
You can watch the live video every night, see some great daytime videos, and join the chat through AIM or Facebook.
Molly the Owl Facebook Group
If you get addicted there's even a group for that!
Molly Obsessive Disorder
Picture by Fan Dawn Cardinal from Facebook