Owl City

Our busiest time of year is well under way and it can be a tricky choice deciding which animals get to be blogged! There is certainly a lot to choose from.

This spring has seen an abundance of orphaned tawny owls, or maybe it is just because they seem to have all arrived at once!? How can I describe the vision of opening up 2 isolation cubicles and having in each, 6 pairs of tawny owl eyes staring up at you?! Go into the side room...inside another 5 shoreline cages are another 8...all big eyes and fluffy fur like feathers! It has been ‘owl city’ here at Stapeley.

 

Since these pictures have been taken, several of these owls are now in the next phase of rehabilitation and are situated in the large outdoor aviaries with plenty of branches and greenery to hide amongst.

Initially they are hand fed a few times a day, but as they mature, the feeds are dropped to just the evening, which coincides with their natural nocturnal eating pattern.

They are cute and furry as youngsters, but their beaks and talons are a reminder of their skilled hunting habits and are to be handled with care!

By Lynsey Cale

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

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