06 December 2020
Part 1 … The view from my window ….
During the two previous breeding seasons, the whole family remained around the Delta Environmental Centre building – the three chicks and, sometimes, the two adults all together on the low roof below our kitchen window. Watching the antics of our ‘roof ornaments’ (as opposed to ‘lawn ornaments’ i.e. garden gnomes) was pure joy and even made washing the dishes less of a chore. This year, things have been very different, with the parents moving the family up into the trees to the north of the building as soon as the last chick left the nest. They were still around, but both Cyn and I missed our daily views from the window.
At 05:10 this morning, I happened to glance out the kitchen window . . . . and all three chicks were perched together on the corner of the lower roof. This afternoon, when we returned from the Rand Barbet Bird Club end-of-year function, they had sought cover in the vegetation overhanging the parapet – but all were still there.
In this crazy COVID year, are things slowly getting back to some kind of ‘normal’?
![3 chicks on roof 08122020](http://deltaenviro.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/3-chicks-on-roof-08122020-1024x731.jpg)
Part 2 … All present and correct
Just looked out of the kitchen window to check on the owls, . . . and both the male and female plus all three of the chicks are dozing on the roof. This means that we have seen the whole family today – the first time in eight days that I have been able to record all five on the same day. Great news!
![Female owl 08122020](http://deltaenviro.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Female-owl-08122020-1024x731.jpg)
![Male owl 08122020](http://deltaenviro.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Male-owl-08122020-1024x732.jpg)
![3 chicks 08122020](http://deltaenviro.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/3-chicks-08122020-1024x732.jpg)
By Geoff Lockwood