The Owl files – Chapter 4: Growing well . . . . but where’s the food

12 September 2023

Growing well .  .  .  . but where’s the food

Since my last update, the chicks seem to be developing normally -but I’ve only twice seen uneaten food left over in the nest when I check first thing every morning. The chicks are obviously getting some food, but I am concerned that the male will battle to find enough to meet the growing demand as the chicks develop.

In previous years, the males have brought numbers of birds that they had caught, but either the current male doesn’t target these to the same extent, or there have been changes in bird-life abundance or behaviour which make them harder to hunt successfully. Either way, it looks like we will be having yet another unpredictable and stressful season.

By Geoff Lockwood