When tawny owls Bonnie & Ozzy brought up four baby owlets it was the largest brood this pair had ever raised and a record for tawny owls in this area. But finding enough food wasn't the only challenge, the pair also had to contend with dangerous jackdaw invasions.
Tawny owl nest challenge
As tawny owl Bonnie incubates her large clutch of eggs, she is battered by unseasonable weather. She sits tight on her clutch, keeping her eggs warm as blizzards blow into her nest, dusting her feathers in ice.But Bonnie has the devotion of her partner Ozzy who brings in regular food deliveries - often more than she needs. Watch her stash any spare into a food larder which she will later rely on to feed her hungry chicks. It's possible the pair know that the eggs are due to hatch.
Eggs hatch
After almost a month of incubation, the eggs begin to hatch. The process is fascinating and begins with just a tiny pip, then a crack, then the chicks appear, their feathers still damp. Bonnie is very protective - she won't even let Ozzy near - so these glimpses of her young owl chicks on camera are very rare. At just one day old the chicks get their first feed and Ozzy steps up his deliveries. There are a lot of mouths to feed in this super brood.
Jackdaw attack
But right now this is the least of the owl pair's worries. Jackdaws are looking for somewhere to nest and they have set their sights on Bonnie's nest. A flock of jackdaws is known as a murder, and there's a reason for that. These birds will fill a nest with sticks and can trap nesting birds inside and bury them alive. Thankfully the jackdaws move away before Bonnie and her chicks are harmed. They leave a mess of sticks in their wake and Bonnie heads to the pond to clean off. An owl nest can get pretty messy and it's important she has some time to herself. But Bonnie's rest is short, by morning the jackdaws return and this time they seem intent on taking over the nest. They throw more sticks onto the nesting tawny owl and her chicks until finally Bonnie lifts off the nest and heads to the entrance to scare them off. It is risky leaving her chicks but they are a little older now.
Owlets grow fast
At one one week old these tawny owlets can sit up, but their eyes are still closed, but in days they become so big Bonnie struggles to brood them and looks like she's crowd surfing when she spreads her wings over them. During their first week their feathers also begin to come through, looking like pins as they pierce the skin, and by two-weeks old their eyes open and they can stand up.By now the growing owlets seem to be continually clambering for more food. I become concerned that Ozzy can't keep up and so I leave a few mice to help the owl family out. They soon thrive and it isn't long before they've almost grown as big as their owl mum Bonnie.
