A field in Shropshire, England
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The owlets have spent the past few days gaining their independence and the older two have now left the nest box and dispersed, to who knows where, as they do at this age. The youngest is still here and still being fed by the adult female, but it won’t be long before he too will fly off into the distance.
The owlets at twelve weeks old
A dozen shy young mallards (mostly female) have just arrived by the pond. I might get a better shot if they’re still here tomorrow, but I don’t want to disturb them.
The next morning and they’re still here, doing what ducks do: eating the pond plants and messing up the water!
Update 20 July. The mallards have gone, back to their pond next door where they had escaped from!
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All three owlets are now learning to fly. The oldest is 9 weeks old and as a result the most competent, but as you can see, all three need a little more training. The adult female is still visiting at night to provide food but she will be coming back less often as she lets the youngsters fend for themselves.
Update 7 July. The owlets are well on their way to being independent. Their flying skills have improved and they’re now learing to hunt on their own too. It won’t be long before they will disperse and each settle up somewhere else. It will be a shame to see them go but that’s what they do.