When their father Finn dies instantly, barn owl chicks Fern, Griffin and Freya change into a close-knit workforce.
Uncommon owl bond
At round 40 days outdated barn owl chicks naturally spend extra time alone of their nest and are fiercely aggressive. However since dropping their father Finn, who tragically drowns in a water trough, Freya, Griffin and Fern have developed an uncommon bond.
Assist
Finn’s loss has additionally hit their mom Gylfie, who works alone to feed this rising brood. As a summer season drought develops, I assist her out with deliveries of meals.
Summer time heatwave
It’s searing scorching and the chicks are overwhelmed. Watch them flutter the feathers on their necks to assist warmth loss.
Freya’s first look exterior
However at evening the temperature drops, and the barn owl chicks change into extra energetic. The eldest Freya, takes her first take a look at the world exterior.
ID rings
When the barn owl chicks are seven weeks outdated, licensed BTO ringer Jean Thorpe arrives to position numbered tags on their legs. The chicks are additionally weighed and measured and these statistics despatched off to a nationwide database.
Chicks put together for first flights
At eight weeks the chicks change into extra energetic, hopping and pouncing within the nest as they prepare for his or her first flights.
Rebellious
Freya, the eldest chick, is essentially the most assured, she additionally fairly sassy. Watch her mom Gylfie self-discipline her when she tries to dam the doorway to the nest.
Gylfie attracts new companion
Then three weeks since she misplaced Finn, Gylfie catches the attention of a brand new suitor. After analyzing the tag on this male’s leg I uncover that this barn owl was truly rescued from a corn dryer and raised right here at Fotherdale – alongside Finn
Dryer
So this new owl, whom I title Dryer, is definitely Finn’s surrogate step-brother. And now he’s obtained his eye on Gylfie. This exhibits the facility of ringing! With out the ring, we’d by no means have recognized Dryer’s story
First barn owl fledges
Freya is the primary to enterprise out of the nest, however she hops proper again after coming head to head with a younger tawny owl. Her subsequent try and fledge is equally dramatic as she will be able to’t discover her means again in!
Fledging follows
One after the other the siblings depart the nest. Fern, the youngest spends an entire evening out within the timber however returns the next day.
First days
The trio proceed to spend their time near their Elm Stump nest field as they discover ways to dwell independently and it’s a pleasure to look at them develop in confidence. When their father Finn died, I wasn’t positive how the household would survive and right here they’re at three months outdated residing a life within the wild.