Little Owls in Richmond Park

[derelict]

The little owls in Richmond Park seem to have had a very good year and are currently extremely easy to see as the young fledglings are out and about in the evening demanding food. You only have to listen for the asthmatic wheezing of the fledglings and wait. I was out last Thursday and yesterday and I rather lost count of the number of little owls I saw, let alone heard. Vaguely reminiscent of a scene in one of Mervyn Peake's "Gormenghast" books though I doubt his were little owls! It reminded me also of Gerald Durrell's account (?one of his Patagonian forays?) of a scene full of small owls - I think they were sitting on roadside posts too. Anyway, the show starts about 8pm.

[The Black Rabbit]

Thanks for that derelict.
Good stuff!
TBR