Shipping - ✔ Fast UK delivery £4.95 per order ✔ Free P&P over £75

Enjoy a trip to Robert's gallery in Thixendale | What's on - Visiting info - Opening times - Directions

Barn owl pair raise first ever chicks | Full story of Willow & Ghost's 1st breeding season

Barn owl pair raise first ever chicks | Full story of Willow & Ghost's 1st breeding season

Barn owl pair raise first ever chicks | Full story of Willow & Ghost's 1st breeding season


In this video I look back at a UK barn owl pair named Willow & Ghost and follow their first breeding season, from the time they first met to the day their three chicks fledge the nest.

Barn owl cams

Surveillance cameras hidden inside barn owl nests in my North Yorkshire garden mean I am able to follow the individual lives of owls and share their unique characters with you.


Barn owl courtship

The season begins in January 2021 when barn owls Willow & Ghost first pair up. Both owls are young and inexperienced and their awkwardness is palpable. Ghost, who gets his name from his pale colouring, is easily recognisable - an easy way to tell the difference between male and female barn owls is that the males are usually whiter.


Choosing a nest

But their first breeding season gets off to a poor start after the pair seem hopelessly indecisive. Barn owls normally nest in spring, and the process normally begins with the male choosing a site and then encouraging the female in to inspect it.


Fighting over nest sites

True to form, Ghost chooses a nest box I put up for owls here in my garden at Fotherdale in North Yorkshire. Sycamore Stump seems ideal and when Ghost shows it to Willow she seems to agree, but there is a problem. A pair of resident kestrel also want this nest and these falcons are ferocious!


Late brood

The kestrels lose the battle for the box and Ghost and Willow retreat to a box in another part of the garden, named Barn Owl Box. Unfortunately, Willow does not seem to approve and Ghost is a very inexperienced lover so the pair don't breed here. Instead, they wait until the kestrel family have vacated the Sycamore nest stump and so Willow doesn't lay her eggs until late July.


The chicks

Willow lays four eggs in total, at intervals of 2/3 days, and the chicks hatch as August slips into September. This is very late for barn owl chicks to hatch - most are fledging by now. Sadly the youngest chick does not survive and Willow feeds it to the others - although this seems cruel, barn owls don't waste food and it is not unusual for a chick to eat its sibling.


Growing up

Watching these barn owl babies grow is fascinating. Viewers of my livestream named the chicks Ginger, Cinnamon and Clove, names that suited their beautiful colouring as their feathers grew.


Food is scarce

But it quickly becomes clear that first time dad Ghost is a poor provider. Male barn owls normally work round the clock to feed their young families, but this family are in danger of starving and I decide to help out - offering meals to the young to keep them alive.


Time to fly

My strategy works and as October moves into November, the three chicks take their first flights.


#ROBERTEFULLER #BARNOWLS #WILDLIFE
2 minute read

Related Posts

Indecisive barn owls finally start a family
Barn owls Willow & Ghost are surely the most indecisive...
Barn owls Willow & Ghost nested so early this year,...
Strange food cravings. A Barn owl struggles to eat mole
Watch how this brooding barn owl reacts to the unusual...
Barn Owl feeding Chicks: It's too big!
Poor chicks are struggling with too large a morsel mum,...
Two of the barn owl chicks have hatched! These tiny...
Barn Owls make TV Headlines
My barn owls were on TV today. Look North (North...
Barn Owl Hope
Pleased to see that the press have picked up on...
Barn Owl Beauty
I've been watching this barn owl in Millington pastures recently...
Barn Owl is Back
Barn Owl on Fencepost, oil painting The wild barn owl...
Stories from Inside a Barn Owl Nest
I've been following the story of a barn owl pair...
Barn Owl Paintings | Owl Artwork Through The Seasons
Barn owl paintings Welcome to my collection of barn owl...
Barn Owl Nest Camera | Selecting A Nest Site
Jan & Feb 2019 UpdateUpdate: Barn Owls Find LoveWhat's new...
Barn owl | Luxury water bottle & velvet tote bag
Robert E Fuller
£73.00£70.00
Barn owl | Luxury cosmetic bag & compact mirror
Robert E Fuller
£41.00£39.00
Barn Owl | Oven Glove, Apron & Tea Towel Set
Robert E Fuller
£69.00£65.00
Snuggled Up | Limited Edition Art Print
Robert E Fuller
£90.00
Barn Owl Mug | Fine Bone China
Robert E Fuller
£22.00
Barn Owl Tea Towel
Robert E Fuller
£13.00
Barn Owl | Luxury Water Bottle
Robert E Fuller
£28.00

Leave a comment

Please note: comments must be approved before they are published.