TAWNY OWL

My birding buddy Stephen Carter was over again this Sunday with his ringing guru Denis Jackson and his wife Val to ring the Tawny Owlets. I'd showed him the photo's Luke took of the birds the week before and Steve said they looked big enough to ring, so we all went to the nest site where Steve climbed the tree to the box to get the youngsters down safely to start ringing.

Steve puts the ladder up to fetch the young Tawny's for ringing

After fetching the birds in a soft bag they're then put one at a time into a smaller bag to keep them calm while the ring is put on the Owlets leg.

The parent birds were flying just above us sometimes making a very agitated clicking sound. Tawny Owls can be very aggressive and are known to attack even humans around it's nest site so we had to be on our guard.

the female looking a bit agitated

Finally the last chick is ringed and I was able to get a quick snap before Steve took them back up the tree and safely into the nest box.

handsome

  I think the parent birds were happy to have their family back safe.

Great experience for myself seeing these beautiful birds up close and to see some real conservation work, even though it was a little hairy sometimes with the parent birds flying so close to us, but it shows what good parents they are.

Below is a short clip of Steve ringing the birds enjoy!!

Big thanks to Steve, Denis and Val hope you enjoyed the tea and the chat afterwards CHEERS.

EARLY NESTS

My old buddy Stephen Carter came over on Sunday 19th April to check the nest boxes and a few other places where we hoped would be lucky enough to find some natural nests.
The boxes are starting to get used up mostly by blue and great tits and nuthatches. This box is being used by a nuthatch when the female comes off the nest it covers its eggs with leaves.

Steve looking into the nuthatch box

nuthatch covers its eggs with dead leaves

 Steve also found this Robins nest with 4 eggs in.

robins nest

Next we set off down the old Farm where the spring lambs are out in good numbers they look so cute.

We went to check a Buzzard nest that was not used last year but to our delight they've come back to the site this year and the female is sitting on two eggs.

you can just make out the female on look out

the buzzards two eggs

These two squirrels were keeping me amused as I waited for Steve to check the Buzzard

Steve sent me some pics of a couple of cracking nests he's found at other sites.

mistle thrush

long tailed tit

The pics are small as Steve took them with his phone but two cracking nests.

Steve with his trusty note pad

Later that day middle step son Luke who can climb trees like a monkey checked on the Tawny owls and for the first time the female flew off to reveal 4 very healthy tawny owlets.

cute

He also climbed a Carrion crow who are nesting quite close to the Owls this had four eggs.

crows nest

A good day bird wise and its still only April, big thank you to Luke and Steve and there's more on the Tawny Owls coming shortly.

SWALLOWS

The Swallows have arrived back, and have decided to start nest building in my shed which gave me a good opportunity to get a few shots as they continually fly back and forth with nesting material. The first bird came in on April 9th and was  quickly followed by two others.

swallow with nesting material

taking a look before fetching more material

  

take off

This Willow Warbler was in fine voice and is another summer resident which visits us every year.

willow warbler

Still some summer migrants yet to arrive but the nesting season is now well and truly under-way with quite a few of my boxes being occupied and I hope to bring you news of these shortly.