On Saturday morning, the eagle owl pair's eggs began hatching at Falun mine in Dalarna. Thousands of enthusiasts have followed the nesting via social media for weeks. The first fluffy chicks appeared in Stora stöten.
At Falun mine in Dalarna, the eagle owls' eggs have started hatching. On Saturday morning, April 25, the first signs appeared in the nest at Stora stöten. The female had incubated for exactly 35 days, as enthusiasts predicted on social media.
Over 3,000 people followed the pair online since their return was confirmed after several years without activity. This is welcome news following past issues, such as bird flu affecting the species at the mine.
Many visitors gathered with binoculars. Stefan Wiborgh from Sandviken arrived with his son and said: “The eagle owl is not easy to spot, so it's great to come here and watch them. My son and I drove from Sandviken, it's a bit of a way.” Åsa Weinberg added: “There aren't many in Sweden, so I take the chance. It's so accessible now.”
Hansa Andersson first spotted the fluff that morning: “It was right today, so it matched perfectly.” The eagle owl population is small in Sweden, and the pair at Falun mine draws significant interest.