Owlets Ringed

 Last night I went to watch a local ringer process a brood of Barn Owl chicks. A friend has a barn owl box in his barn and each year, if a brood of chicks is raised, a ringer comes along to ring them.

 

It was thought there were five chicks but there were six! Different sizes as the eggs are laid over a period of days with gaps in between each one.

Six barn owl chicks being ringed

It's always a privilege to see owlets at such close quarters and is no less thrilling when you've seen the process a few times before.

 

A pair of Kestrels have been seen over the weeks displaying behaviour that suggested breeding and I hoped that they would be successful. The last few days I've seen up to three young Kestrels with their parents in the trees around the Mere.

Kestrel at the Mere

Continuing the theme of young wildlife being seen around Hornsea, here are a few photos taken over the last week of young birds and deer: 

Three young Herring Gulls

Two roe deer young 'uns

Juvenile Reed Warbler

Lapwing chick, close to fledging by the looks of it

Apart from the young birds and deer, there hasn't been much else to draw attention, so my focus has switched to insects and wild flowers.

 

Dragonflies are out and about but are not in particularly good numbers yet. My experience locally is that they are few and far between but others are seeing them more often than I am. 

Male Black-tailed Skimmer

Female Common Darter

Pied Hoverfly

Furrow Orbweaver spider wrapping up a burnet moth

Furrow Orbweaver spider wrapping up a burnet moth

Common Globetail Hoverfly

Cinnabar moth caterpillars

Soldier Beetle

Enchanter's Nightshade