Had a late afternoon phone call (May 2012) from my good friend Denis Greenough "Have you got all your gear ready?" sure I replied, "well meet me on Brayton Barff in 10 minutes" I picked up my camera gear and hot footed it to the Barff, not knowing what to expect when I arrived. Denis had been on the Barff earlier in the afternoon with his wife Trudy and their two dogs, Trudy had notices what looked like a Grey Squirrel high up in one of the old Oak trees. It turned out to be a baby Tawny. The following morning I met Denis and Trudy at the same spot on the Barff and spotted a second Tawny chick. Having pondered overnight we thought that the mother should be somewhere close by and sure enough Trudy spotted her higher up in one of the adjoining trees, keeping an eye on both her chicks. What a magnificent sight.

Tawny Owls are quite a large owl when fully grown, they are havily camoflaged with a brown coat and in full plumage makes them extremely difficult to spot when they are perched high up on a tree branch. They are often seen in woodland,  parks and gardens and make the familiar 'too-wit too-woo' call during the night and early hours of the morning. It is during the winter months of November to February  though that the birds are most vocal, whilst they are defending their breeding territory. They tend to nest in a hollow tree trunk though today many will nest in specific Tawny owl nest boxes.

Tawny Owls have quite a diet ranging from earthworms to small mice, rats, starlings and Grey Squirrels.