Oh what a night...

On Friday, Ken Kinsella took these amazing up-close photos of our owls from a temporary hide he erected in the field. "Friday evening was very bright and ensconced in my little hide I waited until 10pm before the first BO appeared," he said. "It immediately flew away followed by the others in rapid order; an indication of the chicks' maturity."

This is the adult female, Francie

So it seems that our little owlets are growing up! It's all happening so fast. Two weeks ago they were only just emerging from the nest. Last week we watched them learn how to hunt. And now, they're fledged! Last night, we went down the river at about 11pm and hid under a beech tree as the owls flew up and down the meadow, hunting. We could hear them screeching - a haunting and almost violent sound, it's no mystery that these birds are associated with death and the darkness in folklore. Watching them glide above us so silently was incredible.

We expect them to continue to return to the nest for a few weeks yet as they get used to life on their own, but there's a chance that the mum has laid a second clutch. If so, she'll chase this lot away from the nest when the new babies hatch so we'll be keeping an eye out for that behaviour in the coming weeks.

In other news, last night we invented a new cocktail that we've named 'Francie's Parliament' in honour of the mama owl. Here's the recipe:

Take a big jug and put in...

Loads of ice

Two pear ice lollies

Loads of frozen raspberries

Elderflower cordial (homemade)

Gin

Fizzy water (or Prosecco if you're on a mission)

Swish it about a bit and enjoy!