It is always such a joy and pleasure to see young animals taking their first peek at the world, having been cocooned for their first few weeks of life in a nest of some description. Yesterday, as dusk was fast approaching, the first of our this year’s baby tawny owls appeared at the entrance to the nestbox slung under a branch of one of our ancient apple trees.

This evening, it is cold and wet and I’m reading ‘Gardeners’ World’ in the conservatory when a small grey face appears at the bottom of the garden. I am watching it through binoculars when a pigeon flies by and sends the youngster scuttling back into the box. It takes it another ten minutes or so before it plucks up the courage to look out once more. Almost immediately there’s a call from the mother owl as she flies through the garden into the neighbour’s sycamore.

The rain has started again but it’s almost time for me to offer them a couple of day-old chicks to give them a flying start to their nightly feeding regime. I don my rain jacket and muck boots to brave the elements but I don’t want to disturb the youngster so I’ll wait a while until it goes back into the box. Unlike barn owls, tawnies are not so bothered about the rain. They don’t quarter the fields and hedgerows looking for prey as the barn owl does, but prefer to take up a stationary position in a tree or on a post, watching and listening for prey to make an appearance. Then, a swift and silent swoop sees the deadly deed done.

It’s getting dark and the rain has stopped. The owlet is back inside the box and one of the parents has just delivered supper. It’s fast food as she was in and out within a couple of seconds.

I go down to take a chick and place it on the old apple tree stump. I call for him to come and within a few seconds he flies down the garden and with typical precision snatches the offering without even a pause in his flight. The female is calling from nearby and the youngster, no doubt feeling more confident as it grows darker and mother is nearby, appears right on the edge of the box, answering its mother’s call with its own squeaky baby talk. For the next few minutes until the darkness sends me back inside, there is lots of activity: the female moving around the garden and calling regularly while the male lands on the stump not five metres from my observation point. After a couple of minutes, he’s off back up the garden before returning shortly afterwards to feed the owlet once more.

I’m back in the conservatory now and I can see nothing outside. But I can still hear both mum and baby calling. While I sleep there will be lots of activity not 30 metres from my bed. When I get up tomorrow, calm will be restored. I’ll go about my business in the garden and my owls will sleep. I don’t know how many youngsters are in the box, I’ll just have to wait and see how many emerge in the next few days. What I do know is that the next few weeks will be full of fascination for us as we watch the family interactions and the youngster(s) leave the nest to explore their new world for the very first time.