It has been a barn owl week at Hessilhead.

The oldest hand reared barn owls have left Hessilhead, and will spend three weeks in an aviary before being released. That left us with four barn owls, not quite fully grown.

On Tuesday morning, a farmer called from Carsphairn. He had discovered two chicks from his nest box tangled together in binder twine that had been chewed by mice.

The farmer had done his best to free the owls, but one of them was not looking good. Sadly that chick died before arriving at Hessilhead, but the sibling is fine. Already his swollen foot is looking better.

Later that day we had a call from Lendalfoot. While moving bales of hay the farmers had found a barn owl chick. She was completely covered in white down, though her flight feathers were beginning to grow.

A few hours later we called for an update. No nest had been found and we decided the owl would be safer in care. Barn owls rarely feed their chicks away from the nest.

Next morning another barn owl call. A demolition team had removed the roof of a bell tower, then to their dismay they discovered a barn owl nest under the bell.

An Environmental Impact Survey had been done. Presumably no barn owls there then.

The chick, just hours old, was snuggled beside four eggs. All are now in a brooder. The chick is eating well, but we are losing hope that the eggs will hatch.