This morning Jeanine joined me for an early excursion to visit the owls and we were treated to our first glimpse of an owlet (locals report that two have been sighted in the nest). Sadly, it may be our last. About 30 minutes after this picture was taken, the mother was observed eating a large meal. It is possible that she had some food stashed away, perhaps another mouse like the one she caught yesterday. However, if so, why would she have waited so long to start eating it and why would she not share it with her babies. Based on our observations, it is very possible that she was eating one of the owlets. Owls have been known to do this when there is an inadequate food supply or if an offspring is not thriving for some reason. Below is the photograph that led us to this conclusion. The feathers in her beak seem very consistent with those of the owlet. I hope our suspicions are proved wrong and plan to visit the nest several more times to see how the story plays out.