Its nearly two months now since our second broods fledged and I am interested to see how long they'll stay at the farm. First brood fledglings leave after just a few, short weeks, but our second brood families stay for most of the winter. This occurs however, when they fledge in October. Fledging in August means they could well behave like the summer owlets instead and disperse earlier to find their own roosts across the fens.
I have witnessed some truly fabulous fly pasts this autumn. As the sun melts below the horizon and lights the skies with orange hues, the farm yard comes alive. Owls appear from tree roosts, pop out of nest boxes or fly out from the shed eaves. The combine shed has become a favourite roost for more than one of them and they fly to my bidding from the doors.The farmhouse itself proved to be a great place to watch and wait for me recently, and I saw owls perched on the chimneys and television aerial. They have quickly learned not to utter their half formed screech upon my arrival but still cannot help themselves hiss for food as I whistle and wave the torch around.
With two broods across the farm there are plenty of owls to watch. Last week I counted five youngsters around west nest box but as the beehive box youngsters were out I cannot discount that they too had joined the melee over at the dutch barn and so I cannot say how many there were in each brood. Nonetheless we can celebrate the fact that both broods were healthy and fledged successfully.
A few evenings ago I waited behind to see what happened after the owls presumed I had gone. I stood by the grain store with good views of both feeding stations and watched. Straight away an owlet appeared from the shed and waited on the top of the door. I stood motionless knowing that if the owl saw me it would alert the others and my owl watching for the evening would be finished. It sat for what seemed like an age as I kept as still as I could, so still that I was barely breathing. As we both surveyed the darkened farm yard another owl swooped low between us heading over to the open sheds by the house. This seemed to cue the first owl into action and it flew to the feeding platform and helped itself to tea. It headed east which told me it was one of the beehive owlets and I felt satisfied to see it fly so confidently. Within seconds another one appeared on the dutch barn feeding station. This one was not so sure. It took a chick and promptly landed on the floor with it before scanning the area and clumsily flying back into the straw. As owls flew in for food from both sides of the farm I crept back home, satisfied that the owlets were, at least for now, still on site and still safe.
Each day, I find other clues to the owls whereabouts. There are splashy droppings all along the south facing side of the dutch barn and it is obvious that owls are waiting here, perhaps hunting from a safe vantage point or still begging for food. As I walk across the fields I see more droppings under the elder branches that border the farm to the east. There are obviously owls hunting from here too and I am reassured that they are growing in independence.
I was initially concerned when I saw feathers around the straw as I walk down each morning. The weather has turned now and we have had some seriously rainy nights. I worried that a cunning fox had found the owls and was slowly picking them off one by one. I imagined it appreciated this ready made larder of plump baby owls sitting pretty, an easy target. However, as time goes by I realise that the feathers are actually moult feathers from the adult birds. Female owls will moult whilst sitting on eggs. Some of the feathers I am seeing may even be from the nest box above. The males will moult after they have finished feeding young and their busiest times are over. Seeing these feathers tells me that the owls are finished with rearing young for 2024.
I love watching the adults and working out where they are nesting, hearing the youngsters hissing for food and watching them emerge from the nest boxes and I am satisfied with another successful year. Our owls have done well in a year that has has given us some inclement weather. As I write this and the rain hammers down relentlessly on the window I wish our owlets a safe and prosperous future as with their new found independence they find their wings.
