Protective Parents

It has been an exciting few days. I’ve been walking daily in the wood trying to photograph the tawny owl parents. Sometimes they’ll see me first and fly off. The other day I heard this parent before I saw him, as he was making a very soft and low “hoo..oo” noise. I’d seen an owlet perched way up high in a tree close by and wondered if the parent was communicating with it.

Following where the sound was coming from I spotted the back of the parent against the branch of a conifer tree.

Then it turned its head to check me out as I crept ever so slowly and quietly past.

I managed not to disturb it and was delighted to get this shot.

I walked away and back along another path but then caught sight of the other parent perched on a branch among fresh new beech leaves.

Yesterday I was lucky to see him or her again, this time in some rare sunshine.

There were two owlets nearby, here is one of them!

And not so far away I heard rustling in the undergrowth and came across this wee fellow. I don’t fancy his chances, he could well be part of supper for these growing owlets!