10 November 2021
Steady progress
This evening I went out on the back roof to check on the chicks and found the two of them together under the overhang of the Function Room roof. They were totally relaxed and allowed me to approach to within 8 m without showing any concern. I sat on the parapet (where they have been roosting recently) and enjoyed the chance to compare the progress in their moulting.
Both have now almost fully moulted into adult plumage, with the more rufous-coloured bird slightly further ahead in the process. Significantly, they weren’t begging – suggesting that hunting had again been good the previous evening, and that they are getting enough food.
Owl chicks
By Geoff Lockwood