A blog to share barn owl and other wildlife and general news about the Retreat and its environment.
Barn owlet news and update
02. July 2026 - Wildlife
The barn owlets are doing well. The first two, which got out of the nest box a bit early, 10-12 days ago, are flying well and exploring the neighbourhood. They are probably beginning to hunt for themselves, though I've not witnessed that. They return to the box to take prey from the parents.
Later last evening a third one (58 days old) got out of the box for the first time.
They are all being fed regularly and are growing well.
Continue, to read about their reaction to their first contact with rain…
Barn owls have an innate behaviour to dry their wings when they are wet and bedraggled. These barn owlets (about 9 weeks old) had their first taste of rain and immediately put their wings into the posture to air and dry them - even though that made them wetter as their spread wings caught more rain that they would have done if folded away!
The first one was outside when the rain started. A few minutes its sibling exited the box, sensed the rain, and immediately spread its wings getting them wetter and wetter. They look as though they really wanted to get inside the box but couldn't because their spread wings were in the way.
