Due to historical reasons, the outer doors in Parsonage Cottage are all located at the furthest end of the house from the drive and barn area. It is a long house. This was not a problem when we had the dogs, they could hear the crunch of gravel which heralded any arrival and would let me know that someone was out there.
Because I was expecting a large box of bulbs to be delivered I had switched the security camera on to the kitchen television so that I could go down to collect them. The delivery man wasn't there but one of the 'owl men' was. He had just arrived and was about to ring for the gate key to Owl Wood.
Time for the annual brush up and check on the box itself. This was good news because we had just been making plans to repair the old owl box, a little trickier now that we are in our dotage.
Even better news, he had made a new box and they wanted to install it today.
The deed has been done and I took a quick snap, of course!
I hear the Tawny Owls each night, they are pretty vocal in the surrounding barley field. A wonderful night sound.
Fingers crossed that this new house does what the old box has failed to do for the last few years.
I know that Jackdaws need a nest, too, but not this box and not this year. I may have to keep a close eye and chase them away if I see signs of Jackdaws gathering sticks and twigs.
Lucky you with owls...we used to hear owls every year..now for a couple of years we have heard Keewick...but no answering woohoo...one lonely owl.
ReplyDeleteHello gz, That is so sad! We have plenty of owls around, but I can already see several jackdaws down in the wood near the new box...
DeleteHa...thought you were making a tree house for a minute!
ReplyDeleteWe made one when the grandchildren were much younger, these days it is mainly used by the cats and our young London grandchildren when they visit. So much fun to be had with a tree house!
DeleteMay the owls realize how fortunate they are.
ReplyDeleteI do hope so, Joanne. It would be marvellous to see some young ones again, especially when they are at that 'knitted in wool stage' they look so big and fluffy.
DeleteThe owls must be very happy to have you as neighbors! Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteHello Katerina, Welcome. We really do count ourselves very fortunate to have so much wildlife on our doorstep.
DeleteVery admirable having an Owl Box, not something we cold do in our garden but you mentioning Jackdaws reminds me of what happened in our garden though not with Jackdaws. My wife wanted a dovecote Christmas so one year I made her one and put it up in the garden only I had made the doors smaller with a hole for Blue Tits (I made tit box) and We had blue tits nesting in it for a couple of years. Then one morning we heard this tapping nose and after looking out the window we spotted a woodpecker ripping a hole in my wife's dovecote, he really did go to tow n making the holes bigger in most of the box, then went and tried his luck with a second cote I had made only this time I managed to sick mettle rings over the holes so that stopped him. After going in and out a few times he left it and the starlings moved in. I evicted them over winter and made a new box with metal rings around the holed to stop him coming back. Lucky the bluetits are back and seem to be going in and out of all my tit boxes.
ReplyDeleteHello Billy, I like the sound of your dovecote, good to know that you were able to solve the problem with the woodpecker. They are all marvellous birds to watch, but there can definitely be some unpleasant and upsetting incidents. I haven't seen a starling around here for a while.
DeleteHope they get the right tenant. You may have to install more!
ReplyDeleteHello Linda, So far no jackdaws have moved in but neither have the owls. I will keep watch.
DeleteBest of luck for this week, thinking of you.