Luna the tawny owl is incubating four eggs - and it's a full time job. In this 24-hour timelapse from her nest it's clear she rarely leaves the nest, spending her time brooding, and repeatedly turning and shuffling the clutch beneath her.. At one point her partner Shadow delivers food right to her door.
Why owls rotate their eggs
Scientists believe that most birds rotate their eggs to ensure that the embryo gets enough albumen—the mixture of water and protein that makes up the "egg white" part of an embryo and provides nutrients to the developing chick. Too little albumen leads to an underdeveloped and usually sickly chick.
Luna's clutch
Luna is now sitting on a clutch of four eggs. These were laid on February 19th, 22nd, 25th & 28th. The chicks are due to hatch around March 20th. This timelapse covers 24 hours of her time in the nest and was taken on March 5th, three weeks before 'due date'.
As she keeps her eggs warm, Luna is very dependent on her partner, Shadow, to feed her. Learn more about tawny owl incubation here: https://www.robertefuller.com/blogs/blog/how-owls-keep-their-eggs-warm-all-about-brooding
