Tipton's Croft

New wildflowers

Nine new appearances so far this year. Some likely from seed we’ve sown but not all.

Bees are happy today

And this is as close as I’m going to get to them in a T-shirt.

Seven weeks old and time for John from the Shropshire Barn Owl Group to come and weigh, measure, ring and undertake an expert assessment of our two owlets. One is male, the other female and both are good weights and healthy, though somewhat grumpy for being disturbed in the middle of their sleep.

Thank you John!

First look at the world outside

The owlets can now jump up and reach the entrance to the nest box to see the wide world for the first time. Not long before they get weighed and measured: more photos to come soon.

Five weeks old

The two barn owlets are 35 days (five weeks) old and their proper feathers can be seen growing under the warm fluff and they’re developing the familiar heart-shaped face. In another two weeks we hope the owl expert to come and check them over, and we’ll have a chance to see them properly for the first time.

Different year, different flowers

The meadow looks different every year. This year the mass of common knapweed on the small hill has been replaced by rosebay willowherb, hedge bedstraw, bird’s-foot trefoil and oxeye daisy with even more bird’s-foot trefoil in the field. The bees will be pleased.

Bee time

Our wonderful bee keeper, Sue, has, with help from experts Paul and Rob, installed a strange new bee hive called a top bar hive. Despite its odd looks it didn’t take long to fill with bees who have got very busy harvesting the wildflower nectar in the field to make honey.

Summertime on the water

At last the weather is dry and the pond level is slowly dropping: something that would normally happen in February or March and by now the pond would be at least a foot shallower.

No hook needed

The croft isn’t just for wildlife. It’s a working field that produces hay, wood, fruit, honey, and fish to eat. We have brown and rainbow trout which we raise in the larger of the two ponds. Yes, the rainbow aren’t native, but they can’t breed, and yes, the trout do feed off the small wildlife but we keep the stock levels low and the pond is large enough to allow a good balance to develop.

The rainbow trout are also a little mad and behave like a cross between dolphins and piranhas, and it doesn’t take much to be able to catch one.

Two down

Only two owlets left but they’re doing well. The spell of rain (barn owls can’t fly in the rain) at night when the little ones were most vulnerable meant a low food supply. But the remaining ones have their downy coats to keep warm so the mother can hunt now too.

Two days later and the fluffballs are getting bigger, but the hunting still isn’t very good with more rain at night.

Restoration time

The old pond leaks and is getting clogged up with vegetation and before long will disappear completely. So once we’re sure there are no nesting birds (such as moorhens) we’ll get in there with some spades and dig it out.

This is what it looked like in 2018.

Still four

Still four owlets. Plenty of food too.

Later that day, the oldest owlet feel asleep on the side of their mother. All four are getting bigger quickly and are just beginning to develop their fluffy coats.

Three or four?

By now we may only have three barn owlets. It looks like the mother has rejected the smallest. Not unusual to do this if there isn’t enough food but nature can appear to be cruel at times.

Update: looks like the fourth owlet is OK. A few minutes later the mother turned round and carefully pulled it back under her with her beak.

Feeding time

The mother is busy feeding the four wriggling chicks: see how she is able to control them while holding a field vole (probably) down as she pulls it apart to feed each of them in turn, while having time to have some herself too.

The moorhens are getting bigger

We’re not sure how many moorhen chicks there are, but there are at least three. They’re getting bigger, less like sootballs as they start to develop proper feathers.

Owlets

The first egg has hatched and there’s a little pink wriggly thing under the mother.

Even before the egg was hatched the owlet and mother were talking to each. Here you can hear them chittering away the night before: when the mother moves you can see the cracked egg on the right!

Update 28 May. Now there are two owlets, clear to see as the mother briefly left the nest.

Update 29 May. Now there are two owlets. Not sure where the adult male is today. There is spare food on the floor of the nest box so the family aren’t going hungry.