Template:Progress of the Owlet Fledglings

Progress of the Young Owlet Fledglings

Our video camera system enables us to view the owls easily, even at night. We were able to see immediately the young owlets started to exercise on the landing platform, and eventually when they fledged. Sadly, only one of the pair eventually survived; the survivor we called Noddy because of its peculiar habit of head-bobbing. It's a known behaviour pattern of many owls, owls cannot move their eyes as we can as an owl's eyes are fixed in position. The head movement makes up for this limitation. However, we had never seen this behaviour from the parents and it's very obvious, even on the darkest night at a good distance as the infra-red camera shows their eyes as lights, bobbing and nodding. It's enabled us to distinguish Noddy from the parents (unless the parents have started nodding too!)

Following our evening nature walk with Nigel where he showed us how to call a barn owl by making a kissing sound into a cupped hand. Apparently it sounds like wounded pry? I tried it once we got home - amazingly after a few tries, one of the owls popped its head out of the pop-hole! I was absolutely amazed - unfortunately it has only work a few times since then. I guess they've learned the difference between a wounded mouse and a fat bloke - quick learners!

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  The bashful owlet!