The owl saga continues

For the past nine days we've spent a great deal of time, one way or another, battling with the owl-house.                            
The decrepit outbuilding we thought would be most suitable used to be a bread-oven, and is still full of bundled twigs and ancient logs. Now it's an owl roost (potentially.)

 We found a piece of timber (there's a lot of old wood lying around here)

...and thought it might fit.
 The hanging festoons of ivy were removed, and the timber screwed to the roof-beams - no easy job when teetering at the top of a ladder twelve feet from the ground.

The labourer lugged the box across the garden.Minus the lid, it weighed about 11kg. Then, unfortunately, there was a technical hitch, so back it went to the workshop for modifications.



Until, at last, the final version was complete (we fervently hoped.)
Back across the garden struggled the labourer.

 Between the photo on the left and the one on the right, you will just have to imagine two old-timers, each on a ladder, manhandling a heavy, awkward box into position: no mean feat, and done with a minimum of altercation. On goes the lid, and the final image is from the window, a low-flying owl's-eye view.
 

As to the owls themselves, there have been developments. We decided to leave a full week before we disturbed them again to get an updated photo, but when we lifted the cover off the fireplace there was nobody home! 

That night around midnight I saw at least three owls flying around our roof by the light of my torch, and last night there were two - I suspect the youngsters - perched on top of the concrete post which carries the electric cables serving us and our neighbours. After a moment they flew off back to the chimney. It seems that's where they are roosting during the day; with the aid of a mirror I can see the chimney top from the fireplace and I think I can see a bird's tail feathers up there.

Now we just have to hope they find their palatial new home. After all the efforts we've made the blighters had better use it!

A home for our owls

The owl nest-box takes shape. Now for the tough part: getting it secure on a beam at least 10 feet from the ground in our falling-apart and cluttered outbuilding!
Some great excitement late last night, though: I went out on the off-chance of seeing an early meteorite (no show) and took a torch with me. It was very dark, with just a small light-spill from the house, and countless stars in a clear night sky. (One of the great advantages of very little light pollution here in the deep sticks.) I flicked the torch along the roof-line, and caught a movement. At the far western end of the building, perched on the telephone wire, was the adult owl. It saw me, gulped, and took off across the stubble fields. Ten minutes later I trained the torch on the roof again, and saw an owl on the chimney. It disappeared very quickly so I don't know if it was the adult returning or a baby about to embark on a test-flight; but there were more downy white feathers on the lawn this morning.

The owl saga: 3

When we gingerly lifted away the fireplace covering, this was the sight that greeted us - two very recognisable barn owls. One is bigger and has less white fluff, so is probably a week or so older. The bigger one may even be beginning trial flights; we have found downy white feathers on the lawn, and our fine new roof is already bearing the inevitable signs of owl-fouling! As we took this photo, a loud menacing hiss came from somewhere up the chimney. One parent was close by, and warning us off. We will keep an eye on them, but only about once a week while we are here. It may be that at least one will be flying away before we leave. Meanwhile my intrepid husband is rising to the challenge of constructing a nest-box, which we hope to put in place in one of our decrepit outbuildings. First we have to move a great quantity of ancient bundles of kindling; then fix in place a heavy beam across the highest point, to which the box will be attached. And we have to avoid falling off the ladder!

I'll post again soon with the progress of the box.

The finished roof

Our roof is done, and here's how it looks: at the front, at the back, and inside: