A field in Shropshire, England
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We’ve rescued the owl box that came down with the old oak and have put it up in place of the old owl box on a huge old (living) oak nearby.
No time to get the cameras inside it working yet but a trailcam by the tree has captured a barn owl already settling in to the new residence. It’s ringed and may well be one of the pair that were using the same box before. Not sure what it makes of the enforced move but it seems happy enough.
A brief visit from a female barn owl last night. She is ringed so has come from a managed nest but we don’t know where, yet.
Update. On closer inspection we can just make out some of the digits on its ring, which match the adult male from this year. So he’s roosting somewhere else and keeping an eye on the empty nest box.
(the oak leaves are from a squirrel who has tried to make a nest in the nest box)
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!
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.
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.
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.
