The Minnesota Department of Transportation works on countless projects throughout every year and MnDOT crews probably have many stories to tell about a variety of things they encounter during just about every one. At some point, they likely feel like they've seen everything.

However, crews recently discovered a very unique situation while working to repaint a Minnesota bridge, which they happened to capture on video.

They shared their October discovery, as well as what was ultimately done with their new friends, December 22 on the Minnesota Department of Transportation Facebook page:

It’s not uncommon for MnDOT staff to encounter animals during the course of their field work. This happened recently when crews repainting the Wabasha-Nelson Bridge in southeast Minnesota found five baby barn owls nested inside the steel structure.
After discovering the owls, crews modified a protective containment area near the nest so the adults could still fly in and the fledglings could fly out. The project team also changed plans so work in the area of the nest would be completed later after the birds were gone.

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It appears from the video below that they were very content with their location and they didn't mind having company.

The baby owls were discovered on October 5 and MnDOT says they were within several days from flying out and away. They're also happy to report that all the cute little baby birds survived and they all flew safely away by October 15.

How cool that the Minnesota Department Of Transportation crew went out of their way a bit to ensure the safety of the owls. While it may have delayed the painting job slightly, it was totally worth it.

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