THE BARNIE'S HAVE GONE, IT'S A BIT OF A MYSTERY?

Stephen Carter has checked on the young Barn Owls twice since the last time I posted about them both times obviously under schedule 1 licence.
The both visits were made with his ringing guru Denis Jackson (who is also a schedule 1 licence owner) when they arrived at the nest site one of the owlets had gone, but gone where? they searched the barn and surrounding vicinity no sign, and there were also no sign that it was attacked or killed. The young Owl was apparently to undeveloped to have left the nest on it's own accord with it still having lots of down on it's body instead of feathers. Steve seems to think that perhaps it fell from the nest site and was predated upon by a fox and carried away.
Anyway with one healthy chick still in the nest Steve and Denis set about ringing the chick so they could leave the site as soon as possible to leave the birds in peace.

the last remaining chick out of a clutch of 9 eggs.

Steve rings the last remaining owlet

 A return visit by Steve and Denis a week or so later revealed sadly that the last Owlet had also gone, but like it's sibling where had it gone? I hope that they both left the nest and are hiding out somewhere still being looked after by the parents. But like I said about the disappearance of the first chick they could be to young to be out of the nest and with this cold rainy weather we've been having could the parent birds find enough food for them to survive. All in all it's a bit of a mystery. 

Thanks once again to Stephen Carter for the pic of the owl and thanks to Denis Jackson for the pic of Steve cheers guys.