We know we can find owls and other predatory birds around nurse logs. We wanted to investigate how matter and energy moved through food chains and food webs. Barn owls are predators that typically eat rodents, voles, moles, shrews, and other birds. We investigated barn owl pellets to make sense of this phenomenon.
First, we recorded quantitative observations. Students recorded the mass, length, and circumference of the pellet. Then we recorded qualitative observations. Students noticed the size, shape, color, texture of the pellet. Finally, we made predictions about what was inside the pellet.