Barn Owl Family Flourishes Thanks to Wise Owl Mum | Gylfie and Dryer | Full Story | Robert E Fuller

This is Gilfie, a highly experienced female barn owl. She's lived at Fotherdale since 2018, successfully raising six broods here. Her previous partner Finn sadly passed away in July 2022, but within a couple of weeks and Finn's chick still in the nest, this tenacious owl is seen with another male. I wonder who it could be? I notice he has an ID ring, so I look closely through the nest cameras to see who he is. It's Dryer. In 2019 he was rescued from a corn dryer by Gene Thorne. He was brought here for release and put into Elmstump at the same time as Finn, Gilfie's previous partner. This just shows the power of ringing. Without this ring we would never have known Dryer's story. Fingers crossed Dryer is up to the job. It's January and this pair is spending a lot of time together. It's beautiful to see their bond getting stronger. Look at them preening each other. This is known as aloe preening and it helps form and maintain strong bonds. They look very content together. Even though it's January and they won't be laying eggs until the spring, they're keen to find a place to nest. They look around the nest sites here at Fotherdale, looking at Sycamore and Beach to see which is the right one for them. It's a promising sign they're going to breed this year. But they're not the only owls here. Tawny owls Bomber and Luna are extremely territorial and want to make their presence known. And they chase the pair aggressively. Tawny owls are the heavyweights of the British owls. Early one morning, Gilfie's sitting in the entrance of Elmstump when Bomber swipes at her and then comes back for more. They lock talons. Bomber quickly escapes. Fortunately, this altercation doesn't last long and Gilfie appears unharmed. It takes a brave barn owl to take on a tawny, let alone come out on top. And drives in a different nest and totally oblivious. It seems that Gilfie's the one to defend their future home. Thankfully, over the next few nights, things calm down. And I see Gilfie making her way over to Ashtump where she reunites with Dryer. Not only is this Gilfie and Dryer's first year together, but I think this is the first year Dryer's ever paired up too. He's showing very little interest in mating. But the experienced Gilfie is determined to take matters into her own talons and stimulates mating by mounting Dryer. It's a fascinating role reversal and something I've never seen in barn owls before. And it isn't a one-off. Over the next few weeks, this strange behaviour continues. Which leaves Dryer scratching his head. In spite of their strange relationship, Gilfie and Dryer settle on the Almstump nest and spend more and more time here together. Gilfie's technique of trying to initiate mating seems to be working. Dryer makes his first attempt, but it doesn't quite go to plan. He perseveres and tries again. And again. He seems to have got the hang of it. Fingers crossed he's been successful. In order to impress during courtship, male barn owls deliver prey to females to show he can provide for them and their future brood. But it seems like Dryer hasn't got the memo. So Gilfie has to take charge yet again and go and get her own food. When she arrives with prey, Dryer jumps down and pesters her. He doesn't realise Gilfie shouldn't be providing for him. Regardless, he doesn't give up until Gilfie surrenders a catch. Grabbing it and then dashing off. She does not look impressed. But a few days later when Gilfie's in Alm alone, Dryer arrives with a vole. Maybe he's finally learnt his lesson. Or maybe not. He seems reluctant to give up the goods. Gilfie hounds him. But Dryer tries to hide his prize before leaving. Poorly hidden or reluctantly left as a gift for Gilfie. Who knows? But regardless, she takes it anyway. I guess it's progress. But Dryer really needs to up his game. If Gilfie's going to start laying, she'll need to know for certain she's going to be provided for. He has some way to go. But at least the mating attempts seem to have gone to plan. Over the next few days, Gilfie looks like she's preparing to lay. And I see her nest scraping. Becoming restless. And then starting to sit. And then finally at the end of May, she stands up to reveal her first precious egg. It's great news. Dryer returns an hour and a half later. He seems to know there's something different. Gilfie stands. But he doesn't see the egg at first. But then he gets a glimpse and is transfixed. Gilfie soon sits back down. By now start incubation from the very first egg. And this one needs to stay warm for the next 30 days. It's been fantastic to see Gilfie find a new mate in Dryer. And for them to welcome their first egg together. But it hasn't been an easy road for Gilfie. She's had to ward off intruders. Provide her own food. And even show Dryer how to mate. She really is one of a kind. It's now early June and four days since Gilfie laid her first egg in Elmstead. She usually lays eggs every two to five days. So the next egg should be here soon. Dryer comes over from Ash. And looks under Gilfie's tail feathers. But there's still only one egg. But seven hours later Gilfie reveals a second. And three days later a third. When Gilfie stands up to stretch her legs. Dryer seizes the opportunity to look at the three precious eggs. He's not had his own before. But as he steps closer a protective Gilfie sees him off. Four days later on the 11th of June the fourth egg is laid. This is Gilfie's sixth brood and she typically lays three to four eggs each time. She doesn't lay any more. This brood is complete. For the next 32 days Gilfie will take on the role as sole incubator. Whilst Dryer provides food for her. I spot Dryer hunting a nearby field. And he dives into the grass. He brings in a freshly caught vole. And leads Gilfie across the nest. While she consumes his catch. He inspects the eggs. Only last month Dryer didn't know he was supposed to be the provider. And chase female Gilfie around the nest when she returned with food. But Gilfie's new partner has come on in leaps and bounds. He's unstoppable. Bringing in a variety of prey while Gilfie incubates the eggs. Delivering rats. Mice. And voles. Brown owls need about four items of prey each night. As they can eat up to a third of their body weight daily. Gilfie rarely leaves the nest. Because she needs to keep the eggs constantly warm. But one time when Dryer arrives. Gilfie's nowhere to be seen. He drops the food and proceeds to check the eggs. Making sure they're all fine. Before calling Gilfie in a panic. But Gilfie's an experienced owl. And she was only stretching her wings. And returned soon. The eggs are safe under her control. A couple of days later. One of the eggs rolls away from the others. But she quickly spots it. And expertly rolls it back underneath her. It's now 31 days since the first egg was laid. And Gilfie and Dryer's hard work has paid off. As night falls here at Fotherdale. Gilfie helps the first chick out of its shell. I'm amazed how gentle these birds can be. This chick comes into the world almost bald. And completely blind. It will soon develop a thin layer of down. And will open its eyes between one and two weeks old. As Gilfie stands to stretch over the next few days. I get some amazing views of this little owlette. Throughout incubation, brooding and chick development. Barn owls continue to mate. Maintaining those lifelong bonds. I notice a squirrel outside the nest. A real danger to the eggs and chick. They won't like this. The squirrel's getting closer. Gilfie and Dryer dart out of elm stump. But accidentally throw the chick across the nest. This isn't good. At this age that chick won't be able to move about. So I'm going to pop it back where it should be. I did it as quickly as possible. And hopefully Gilfie will be back soon. She returns 15 minutes later to the calls of her chick. And only the next day, the second chick is hatching. And that evening, Dryer sees the second chick for the first time. And seems transfixed. Two days later, she's removing another broken egg shell. There must be a third chick under her. And that evening, as she rounds up an escapee. I get a brief look at the new chick. Gilfie really does have her hands full. But one thing she doesn't need to fret about is getting enough food. Dryer has really proven his worth. Delivering over and over. Again and again. Forming a cache of wild prey around Gilfie in the nest. He's keen to remind her of his hard work. Returning one morning to show Gilfie just how much food is delivered. But maybe too much food. So he grabs a snack. And takes a wood mouse for the road. Gilfie's previous partner, Finn, was very attentive. And would spend his days by her side. Her current partner, Dryer, is a bit more hands-off. And is spending his time next door in Ashdump. Five days later, the fourth chick hatches. And it doesn't look very strong. That night, Gilfie pulls the smallest chick from under her. It's still alive, but it isn't looking good. Over the next couple of days, the chick is getting worse. Intervening isn't possible here. It could put Gilfie and Dryer off. And put all four chicks at risk. Unfortunately, the chick dies. And Gilfie feeds it to the remaining three. This isn't rare in birds of prey. They will eat their own chicks before they start decomposing. To avoid attracting scavengers to the nest. And to keep their remaining chicks fed. I decide to name the remaining chicks Thunder, Storm and Cloud. Gilfie does a fantastic job of feeding all the chicks. Tearing the prey up into bite-sized chunks. But new parent, Dryer, is not as clued up. And when he delivers prey, he doesn't know what to do. Giving the item hold to the chicks. They can't eat it like this yet, as they're too young. So they drop it. He waits for Gilfie to lend a helping hand. And the next evening, I'm amazed. Storm, at less than two weeks old, eats a vole in one go. You can see it in her throat. Amazing. And she's still hungry. One owl chicks are in the nest for around eight weeks. And these three are growing quickly. And soon, the eldest, Thunder, is too big to be brooded. And clearly getting more inquisitive, Thunder starts to explore the nest. And with frequent prey deliveries, it doesn't take long before all three chicks are too big to be brooded. It's late July, and the chicks are now around three weeks old. And they're able to thermoregulate. Meaning they don't need Gilfie to keep them warm. But Gilfie will stay nearby, watching over these young barn owls. It's been an amazing couple of months following this barn owl pair. As they had a clutch of four eggs that all successfully hatched. Sadly, they lost one of their chicks. But the other three are developing well. Thanks to Gilfie's care. And Dryer's food deliveries. The chicks can thermoregulate now. Which means they can maintain their own body temperature. Without Gilfie's help. So she doesn't need to be in the nest all day. And leaves to join Dryer in nearby Ashton. It's common for the adults to leave the chicks alone when they reach this age. Although they don't need around-the-clock care. These chicks still need to be fed. And Dryer continues doing an amazing job. As night falls, he leaves to hunt. My camera's capturing landing on a post. He sees something in the grass below. And drops. He's caught something. He flies straight to elm with it. But these chicks are too tired to eat. Or maybe they're already full. Next time he delivers, they still aren't interested. So Dryer just leaves the prey on the nest floor. And leaves into the night. After their first day alone. Gilfie heads over from Ash to check on the chicks. And her maternal instincts quickly kick in. She gives the chicks some of the surplus food. Even though they're capable of feeding themselves. Knowing that there's a nest full of food. Gilfie takes advantage. Returning the next day to get a meal. She takes her time, seeing what she fancies. And then takes one for the road. The next day, Gilfie returns to elm for another easy meal. Or so she thought. This time there's no surplus food and the chicks are hungry. She gets harassed and chased out of the nest by the chicks. This happens whenever she comes back. These chicks are now constantly hungry. Gilfie will now need to join Dryer in hunting for these chicks. And she does. That night, almost in unison. Dryer and Gilfie deliver Wittenmeister to their chicks. They make such a great team. It's the beginning of August. And these three are really developing quickly. Flapping and stretching their wings. And showing off their adult feathers as they come through. Practicing their hunting technique. Pouncing around the nest. A vital skill. When barn owls hunt for prey, they hover. Before dropping down and grabbing it with their talons. So it's important to hone their pouncing skills if they're going to thrive in the wild. One evening as Dryer delivers, I see some unusual behaviour. Thunder gets the food, but passes it to his younger sibling Storm. Barn owl chicks usually fight over food, but these three are sharing. And it isn't just a one-off. It happens again. Clearly a purposeful act. They're so well fed now, this trio are sharing. As the days go by, these chicks are becoming more interested in the world around them. Looking into the cameras and watching the flies on the nest floor. Now at 48 days old, the eldest chick Thunder is becoming restless in the nest. And that night takes a leap of faith up to the nest entrance. But it isn't long before he returns to the safety of his siblings. That's enough adventure for one night it seems. Thunder is really strengthening his wings. Flapping and jumping around the nest repeatedly. And his interest in the outside world is clear. I catch him looking out of the nest entrance. And over the next few nights, he jumps up to take a look outside. But his siblings try and pull him down. Maybe they think it's an adult with food. Spending time in the nest entrance has its benefits. When Dry delivers prey, Thunder gets first refusal. And returns back in a nest with a wood mouse. And Thunder returns to the entrance just in time. Dry is back with another delivery. I'm amazed at what happens next. Thunder retreats back inside the nest. And hands the food to his younger sibling Cloud. You can't help but smile. Over the coming nights, Thunder becomes more adventurous. And starts to climb outside the nest. But Dry's arrival tempts him back inside. With Dry gone, Thunder's back at the entrance. And finally takes a leap of faith onto the platform below. His siblings watch on. An unknown noise spooks him back inside. But it's just a couple of passing cars. Thunder's ready to fledge very soon. So it's time these barn owl chicks get their BTO identification rings. I'm going to see if I can get the chicks out. But it's quite a big box here, so it's going to be tricky to catch them. So that wasn't too bad. I've got all three chicks in here. And straight away I can tell they're really good weights. I use this bag because it's got separate compartments. So the chicks can't hurt each other. I'm joined by Jean Thorpe from Rydale Rehabilitation. Jean's a licensed ringer. And the utmost care is taken to ensure the safety of these barn owls. All right, let's get the rings on. We fit them with BTO rings, weigh them and give them a health check. All as quickly as possible. Each ring is a unique number. And they're sized to fit a barn owl perfectly. These rings enable us to track the birds through their lives. And the benefit of these rings is clear. I share a lovely moment with Jean. As a reminder, the father of these chicks, Dreyer, was rescued by her. Dreyer's from you, isn't he? Oh, of course he was. Yeah, from the Dreyer, yeah. Yeah, that's really good to think that, isn't it? This would have been impossible to know if Dreyer didn't have an ID ring. Ringing these chicks also gives us an opportunity to try and sex them. Thunder's facial disc and pale markings indicates he's a male. Flexing the feathers in a dark row for all appearance. Let us know storm and cloud of females. Really, I mean, this is really black, black, isn't it? And along here is black, black. Look at those sparkles on there. And along here, look, and down here. All three chicks weigh exactly the same. I haven't seen this before. And 390 grams is a brilliant weight, especially for the youngest. Gilfy and Dreyer are clearly doing a fantastic job. Now all three chicks have their rings and have been weighed. It's time to get these three chicks back in the nest. And that information sent to the BTO. And soon they're settled back into their home. Thunder's back on the entrance. And then onto the ledge. And for the first time, takes flight beyond the nest platform. His siblings watch on. But Thunder quickly returns. With a rather unorthodox landing. Dropping into the grass below. But soon returns to the safety of his sisters. Thunder's 57 days old. And it's clear he's yearning for the outside world. Returning to the entrance the next evening. And youngest sibling Cloud clambers up to join him. But when Thunder leaves. Cloud rejoins Storm. Who's captivated by a beetle inside. At almost a week younger than Thunder. Cloud isn't ready to leave just yet. When Thunder next returns. It's middle owlet Storm that joins him in the entrance. And once Thunder takes to the wing. Storm at 58 days old. Fledges onto the platform below. Never one to miss out on the action. Cloud jumps up onto the entrance. And what happens next is just lovely. Thunder returns to check in on Storm. Before leaving again. But he doesn't go too far. It only takes a couple more days. Until Cloud fledges at 59 days old. With a fresh mouse delivery from Dryer. Sees her straight back inside. The owl chicks will continue to be fed here by the parents. Despite having all fledged. Over the next few days. All three owlets use this nest as a base. Spending their days pouncing. Stretching. Allopreening. And of course sleeping. They leave the nest at night. But return to spend the day here. Until the 7th of September. At 66 days old. 12 days after fledging. Thunder has a good stretch. And leaves Elm for the last time. And it's around this age. Young barn owls start to disperse. Meaning they start to leave their parents home range. Sisters Storm and Cloud stay in the nest for a few more days. And their bond continues to grow. Which is lovely to see. But soon it's time for Storm to begin dispersing. She clearly doesn't want to go too far. As she ventures only a couple of trees down. To beach them. Cloud soon follows. Leaping towards the entrance. And pushing Storm into the nest. Storm enters and inspects a stocked-up eggshell. Cloud isn't as confident. And stays in the nest entrance. But eventually finds the courage to look inside. Once they've got used to the camera. And their surroundings. They settle right in. Playing with feathers. And sticks. Allopreening. And seemingly holding talons. Over the next couple of weeks. These two spend time inside the nest. And in the entrance. But as I've seen many times before. Taking up residence in a nest box of such quality. Doesn't go unnoticed. The first visitors are the infamous jackdaws. Fortunately they leave without any altercation. And then Jenny. Fotherdale's female kestrel calls by. But she too leaves without much fuss. Unfortunately not all visitors are so calm. One night as they both return. The resident tawny owls are hot on their tails. Storm gets tagged by Luna. But Cloud narrowly escapes. Bomber comes out of nowhere. And takes Luna down. Clearly a case of mistaken identity. Because Luna and Bomber are mates. But their drive to protect their territory is so strong. What happens next is something I know occurs. But have rarely caught on my cameras before. By the time they're 14 weeks old. Barn owls tend to have dispersed from their parents territories. But Cloud is past this age. And still here. Sometimes they're tolerated by their parents. But other times they're not. Gylfi, the mother of these chicks. Pays Cloud a visit in Beachton. Nothing too brutal. But enough to put Cloud on edge. Gylfi knows better than to trust fledglings. Even if they're hers. Back in 2020. Solo from her first brood that year. Entered Elm and tussled with Gylfi. Before stealing a chick from her second brood. Gylfi won't make that mistake again. Still on edge. When Storm returns that evening. Cloud is spooked and goes for Elm. But soon distinguishes friend from foe. And things calm down. Up until now. The barn owls have been relatively protected in their nest. But they'll soon have to get used to these threats. Gylfi's message was received and understood. Only days later. Both leave Beachton for good. After this point. I rarely have an insight to what happens. Dispersal direction tends to be completely random. And often up to five miles. But what I see next is fantastic. Storm appears on my cameras over at Ashwood. I can tell it's Storm by her unique BTO ring number. Once owlets leave their parents' range. They can travel from roosting site to roosting site. So in true Goldilocks fashion. Storm goes round all the nest boxes. But this one's too messy. This one's too small. This one seems okay. Or maybe not. She's swiped by a resident tawny owl. This nest is taken. Storm then heads over to Ash Hollow. And appears to settle in. It's now November. And Storm is now four months old. But when she sits in the entrance. She gets some unwanted attention. First a grey squirrel. And then the jackdaws. And finally Athena. Who pulls her out. This is her nest. Despite having stayed in the area. For an incredible 82 days. This interaction with Athena. Sadly puts her off Ashwood for good. And I don't see her on camera again. But she is spotted back at Fotherdale. Maybe her story isn't over just yet. It's been incredible to follow these chicks. Through their fledging period. And even more so. I've been able to see what they do. After they fledge. This has been a great first breeding season. For Gilfian Dryer. From not knowing what to do at the start. Dryer has stepped up. And helped Gilfie raise three beautiful barn owls. I have my fingers crossed for more success next year. Thank you for watching. And I hope you enjoyed the video. Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe to see more. Here's a taste of what you'll enjoy seeing on this channel.