FERNDALE, Calif. – Northern California’s favorite barn owl is due to welcome the first owlets to hatch live on the Ferndale Owl Cam at the end of April.

Since the owl cam was installed this January in the tower of The Old Steeple – a historic former church turned concert hall in the scenic North Coast town of Ferndale – a fast-growing flock of followers has been tuning in to watch resident owl “Truman” and her mate swoop in, share their latest rodent catches and, recently, set up a nest.

The owl cam has even become a regular segment on popular morning show Good Day Sacramento.

Truman laid her first egg on March 25 and is currently sitting on a clutch of six.

Barn owl eggs hatch in approximately 30 days, in the order they are laid. Once hatched, owlets spend about eight weeks in the nest developing downy feathers, jostling and screeching for food, and learning to run, jump and pounce, before testing their wings and ultimately fledging the nest in early summer.

Of course, it’s not all cuteness and fluff. Owlets that hatch last, especially in larger broods, often don’t survive when they are unable to compete with older, larger siblings.

It’s also quite common for one or two eggs to fail. But while there’s no way to control nature, there is one way we can help protect the families of Truman and other raptors, said Paul Beatie, owner of The Old Steeple.

“Barn Owl diets consist largely of rodents,” said Beatie. “By avoiding rodenticide, we can keep these awesome birds safe and allow them to do their job keeping down the rodent population naturally.”

Join the egg watch and enjoy sweeping views of the Victorian village of Ferndale and the North Coast of California at www.FerndaleOwlCam.com .

The Old Steeple and its parent company, Ferndale Music Co., are located at 246 Berding St. in Ferndale (next to the cemetery). Special thanks to FerndaleTech for providing the owl cam.

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