My favourite nest
Barn owl chicks Skye, Spirit & Echo are eight days old and starting to fledge the nest. But as they find their wings, parent owls Willow & Ghost are never far away, protecting them from danger and bringing a steady supply of food. Already Skye has begun exploring the world outside the nest and her two siblings are ready to follow suit.
Willow
But when the resident kestrel pair fly too close, Willow arrives out of nowhere and quickly lets Mr & Mrs Kes know this nest site out of bounds. Its reassuring to know she’s still keeping a close eye on her owlets. After watching his elder sibling Skye explore the outside world, Spirit decides to join her. But he doesn’t go far and when he sees parent owl Ghost deliver prey to Echo, he's quick to return for his share.
Owlets gain confidence
Over the next few days, the eldest two chicks come and go as they please and Skye makes her way to the feeding post for the very first time. Watch how warmly she greets owl mum Willow when she also arrives at the post.11 days after Skye first fledged the nest she arrives carrying wild prey. I wonder if this could be her first successful hunt. Echo is impressed! The next morning around 4am the elder two barn owlets set off for a day of explorations and Echo, left alone at the nest entrance, finally plucks up the courage to follow them. And just like that this nest empty for the first time in months.
When dawn breaks, however, Echo is still missing. There’s no sign of her for the rest of the day and I’m starting to worry. Thankfully that night Echo flies back to the nest to join her siblings. A whole day in the wild…what an adventure she must have had!
Owlets gain independence
Over the coming weeks all three chicks use Sycamore as a base, leaving the nest most nights to hunt and explore. After a month the three owls are still together, now in their full adult plumage. But these three owlets are still only youngsters and still have a lot to learn. Watch what happens when Spirit meets a pigeon. He doesn't really know what to do!
A favourite nest
This has been one of my favourite nests to follow. Willow and Ghost have defied the odds. They laid their eggs in the dead of winter, raised their three chicks through tough storms and continued to protect them from intruders and provide enough food to go around right up to the final moment. Willow and Ghost really are incredible owl parents. #barnowls #robertefuller #owls
