Island naturalist Gus Ben David stopped by the Gazette offices Monday morning with two guests in tow: Eurasian eagle-owlets.

The owlets, a brother and sister, are less than eight weeks old. They are the offspring of a breeding pair of eagle-owls that Mr. Ben David has at his farm. Mr. Ben Davis also had a female eagle-owl, Mohu, that he uses for education.

The owlets are being raised by Mr. Ben David and will eventually live off-Island. The youngsters eat rats and mice, and though small now, grow to be quite large: their mother has a wing span of nearly five feet.

The fluffly owlets were quiet visitors, nibbling gently on fingers and opening their beaks in a panting-type action that Mr. Ben David said regulated their body temperature.