Tawny Owl Chicks - The final update

If you read me previous post back in mid-April, then you'll have seen that the chicks from Sparrowhawk Island were advancing quickly and would soon be ready to fledge. The following photos show these final stages before leaving the nest.

 Here the chicks are still leaning on each other for warmth. Over the next week they start to spend more time sitting on their own.

The larger of the two chicks is two days older than the smaller and starts to spend some time investigating the nesting box.

 We can start to see the distinctive Tawny patterning on the feathers now. It's amazing to think that in such a short time they go from being eggs to starting to look like adults.

 Still larger again. The smaller of the two chicks seems to be catching up in size to its older sibling. The parents are doing a great job and quite often there will be food there, but the chicks neither fight over it or rush to eat it, as in the lower part of the photo above.

 Here's Mum trying to encourage the chidks to venture outside.

 Which they eventually do. It's mainly the oldest that spends time here first. Probably getting used to its tubular eyes, which are highly sensitive. It's said that their vision is between 50 and 100 times more sensitive than our own.

The 10th of May saw the younger chick sat on its own inside the nesting box. It's older sibling had fledged. Hedgehoggy on WAB made the prediction that the younger one would leave 2 days later as this was the age gap between them. This prediction came true and the younger left around 8.25 pm on the 12th May as reported by Lemars on WAB.



This may be the last that we see of them, but for the next few weeks they will stay in the vicinity as their parents will continue to feed them. They stick together using special calls that differentiate their family from any other Tawny families around. The family group may stick together for up to the next three months as they young owls learn to fend for themselves. They will eventually leave the family group to set up territories of their own.

I wish them the best of luck and thank them for this journey.


But there is also someone else to thank for this. Someone who I have had the pleasure of speaking to over the past few days. That someone is David Culley, who has single-handedly set up the many cameras in this woodland. The cameras were initially set up to ensure that disabled birders didn't lose the opportunity to carry on the hobby that they enjoy so much. David is in the process of creating a film that will be broadcast on television in the future.

I want to thank Dave so much for these cameras and they have provided much interest for myself and countless others. To help Dave maintain these cameras and to allow him the chance to add more for our enjoyment, please donate:

http://www.sparrowhawk-island.co.uk/donate_to_sparrowhawk_island.php

As it makes clear on the site '100% of everything we earn from any donations goes back into looking after the environmental area and these magnificent birds of prey.' Definitely a worthy cause.

Finally, I want to thank those of you that have been reading the updates on these Owls. I really hope that you've enjoyed it! I'd love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment.