growing up can be a boring business
barnals take a long time to mature
their young spend up to 10 weeks in the
nest twice as long as the tawnyhill
chicks
it’s good to have a varied diet this
time it’s a shrew
finales are the only ones that eat
shrubs
reducing competition with the other
isles
it’s early summer the nights are getting
shorter the little isle family is
growing
getting hungrier by the day
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no longer content with waiting inside
the oak tree from now on they will
doorstep their parents for a meal
warm wet nights are perfect for finding
a good supply of earthworms they’re
everywhere
which is just as well the oak tree brood
has close competition from a rival clan
of little owls in the farmyard
the hole in the wall gang
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all owls are wary of each other
conflict is uncommon
but being the smallest it pays to be
careful
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where there is plenty of prey little
owls can nest surprisingly close to each
other
the rival brood has nested in an old
wall close to the farmhouse
lighting around the farmyard attracts
many moths and other insects
all good father for the little
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of all five owls the little owl is the
most adventurous
over the last century and a half they’ve
colonized nearly all the english
lowlands
and still seem to be doing well
in contrast the barn owl has become
increasingly rare over the last 50 years
but in this family with just two
offspring and a plentiful supply of food
both stand a good chance of survival
growing well they are now able to
swallow their food home
and developing the feathered face that
is the mark of an owl
