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Merlin the Owl

Merlin the Owl

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Follow the adventures of Merlin the screech owl and Minerva his mate

11/15/2023

He’s BACK! Hi Merlin. It’s wonderful to see you again, buddy. Mrs. Friend-of-Merlin spotted our friend earlier today and snapped this photo. This means it’s time to get our butts in gear and fix the Merlin nestcam. Unfortunately, the camera died this spring, but we’ve cracked open the piggy bank and ordered a new one which should be arriving and installed soon. Stay tuned for the relaunch of the Merlin nestcam and the beginning of Merlin & Minerva’s SEVENTH nesting season. It’s hard to believe we’ve been fortunate to host this wonderful feathered couple and their fluffy murder nuggets (28 of them!) since 2017. 🦉 🧙‍♂️




03/25/2023

Minerva laid egg #2 last night. Go Minerva and Merlin! 🦉 🧙‍♂️🥚🥚




12/10/2022

It’s been a while since Merlin’s last update. He was hanging out this afternoon, looking a bit cranky. He’s not amused that it was 78 degrees in Austin today, in December.

10/31/2022

Merlin approves of the renovation work we did on his house last week (new roof). He was back to inspect the premises, and then he brought in a fresh rodent kill. So he’s resumed paying the rent via rodent eradication efforts. Thank you Merlin! 🦉 🧙‍♂️

10/28/2022

After five years in the elements, Minerva and Merlin’s owl box was leaking badly, and desperately needed a new roof. Fortunately, Merlin cooperated yesterday evening by vacating the premises, so we got busy in the shop and whipped up a new cedar roof that should keep them dry and cozy for several more seasons. We also refreshed the aspen shavings inside, so the house is all ready for our illustrious tenants. Next up, a new exterior merlincam, coming soon. Stay tuned! 🦉 🧙‍♂️




10/25/2022

Hello Merlin our old friend! Welcome back. Merlin showed up for a few hours this past weekend, and this morning he settled into his house to sleep for the day (he’s there right now - you can visit him on the livestream at http://twitch.tv/owlmerlin ). We are thrilled and incredibly fortunate to have Merlin back for the SIXTH year (wow!) and are looking forward to observing this miracle for yet another season. 🦉 🧙‍♂️

06/04/2022

Fair winds, little ones! Just like that, another season ends. The second owlet fledged yesterday evening, and after a visit and a pep talk from Minerva (watch the video), the third owlet gathered all its tiny yet fierce courage and took the leap this morning. Thank you, Minerva and Merlin for allowing us to observe another nesting season. And thank you all, friends of the owls, for following along with us. Enjoy this last footage of owlets two and three (with cameo from Minerva) and see you all in the fall. FLY, little murder nuggets, fly! 🧙‍♂️ 🦉

06/03/2022

Owlet #1 has fledged! And a second one wasted no time climbing up into the opening. I wonder if they’ll all go in rapid succession? We can hear the parents softly calling to them in the dark, encouraging them to take the leap. Good luck, little murder nuggets!

Photos from Merlin the Owl's post 06/02/2022

The owlets are growing like weeds, and all three of them are now flapping their wings in the box, getting use to stretching them out. Meanwhile, we spotted Merlin standing guard in the tree, not far from the nest box. It won’t be long now till they fledge.

05/24/2022

And then there were three. Behold the fuzzballs, eyes open now, in full rugby scrum/cuddle mode. Sadly, the fourth owlet was taken yesterday by an invading mammal of some kind (large squirrel? All we saw was a bushy tail exiting the nest box in the one video clip we got of the event). A terrible moment in this nesting season. 😔

05/15/2022

[sound on] all four bobble heads are up today, and beaks open chirping for food. Minerva seems to be saying “ok ok… keep your feathers on!”. It’s also funny to observe how quickly the owlets go from wide awake and chirping one minute to completely zonked out the next. 🦉 🧙‍♂️




05/14/2022

A little daytime action today from Minerva and the murder nuggets. They’re getting much more mobile, so she can’t keep them all protected under her wings anymore. Notice them trying out their stubby little winglets a bit, and also interacting with each other. We also noticed at least one of them has opened its eyes! 🦉 🧙‍♂️




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Austin

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Austin, TX
78701–78705, 78708–78739, 78741–78742, 78744–78769