The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Our local Owls gave us as good a viewing week as we could ask for...

Monday 24th 10:30pm - two young owls (now quite mature) showed themselves together at the nest entrance.

Tuesday 25th 6pm - one young owl came to nest entrance, exercised wings for approx. 5mins. Ten minutes later another slightly younger owl came to entrance and was greeted by a parent returning with food

Wednesday 26th 9pm - parents still returning with food. About 9:15 witnessed two Barn Owls in mid-air scuffle not far from nest, neither was carrying any food, one returned to nest, one flew off East - unlikely that it was another local owl (another nest site approx. 1/2 mile away) but possibly a parent seeing off a fledgling?

Wednesday 26th 11pm - fledgling flying from one barn roof to another and back - patiently waiting for parent to return but it was too dark to tell if either parent came back

Fingers crossed that the fledglings find the world a friendly and prosperous place

I have enjoyed watching the two young Barn Owls for the past week - fleeting appearances, exercising themselves as they flit between rooftops, calling for food - the parents busy trying to meet the demands.

Tonight was different, very different. 10pm and the young ones were out and about, they spent ages together investigating my back garden, from fence to lawn to greenhouse to shrub and back to fence with the occasional venture to the nearby electricity pole where the parents had been feeding them earlier in the week - but not a parent in sight, no food on demand this night!

I watched them as a pair for about an hour then they eventually seperated and I lost sight of both in the darkness - they didn't once attempt to return to the nest site - I am having terrible mixed emotions right now, not sure whether to be happy or sad, fearing tonight was the night when they finally left the roost for the last time

Well, if I was a bit emotional on Wednesday night that was nothing compared to the past two evenings.....

The two fledglings made a brief appearance last night but afraid that they had been deserted I contacted Alan our area ringer for advice and he put my mind at rest - not seeing parents for a while was nothing unusual given the weather we have been experiencing.

The fledglings returned to my back garden this evening and seemed to be having a grand time playing on the lawn but wait, not two, THREE!!! I watched with my bins for around an hour as they struggled with various roosts (weather beaten rape is not the best stuff to try to land on!) then hey-presto, across my field of view thundered an owl carrying a kill and as I swiftly directed my focus to the nest site I was greeted with yet another owl face peering out of the darkness just as the parent deposited the vole and flew off again!

Sorry for image quality, it was a long telephoto lens, handheld, in the dark, through double-glazing - not the best way to get a photograph...

It's been just two weeks since I sighted the first of the three young Barn Owl to fledge and am pleased to report that all are still doing well and being fed. I honestly don't know if their are any more in the nest, the female has not been seen for ages and it is the male left to feed the fledglings - maybe mum is back on the nest for a second brood??

Last night the young were out and about in the rape field just early enough for me to capture a couple of (poor quality long distant) images....

Male arrives with food....


Male passes food....


Male departs....


Meanwhile 2nd fledgling arrives (out of view behind post)
Male arrives with food....


Male passes food....


Male departs....


3rd fledgling arrives to see what all the fuss is about....

I must see them too - how would you suggest I do this without disturbing the birds?

Katherine, my kitchen has the best vantage point and I make a lovely cup of tea (or so my wife tells me!). Sent you a private message a couple of days ago?

The owls are nesting in buildings on private land inaccessible from the main road (which is good for the owls) - behind the nest site are approx. 200acres of rape, and a good 3/4 mile hike to the back lane!

Tonight I discovered that the fledglings are now roosting in the unused back room of my barn (some 30yards from nest site and has been a Winter roost for the past 2 years, Owl pellets everywhere) - around 8pm the Swallows became all upset at something and were screaching in and out of the barn, moments later one of the fledgling Owls appeared from the hole in the roof to be followed by another a short while later - the Swallows were still carrying on crazy so I crept into the barn (the bit we use daily) to put my strimmer away only to hear an Owl calling from the murky shadows so I exited and left the Swallows and Owls to sort things out between themselves