21/05/2026
A couple of weeks ago when I posted about the owlets we spotted in the bluebells I had a comment from someone called reassuring me that it was normal behavior from them to be out and about on the forest floor. She said that she has encountered them 40-50 metres away from the nest site which I found amazing. Anyway I checked out her Instagram and it turns out she's a writer and one of her books is called The Company of Owls! I snapped up a copy and devoured it!
Polly Atkin lives in The Lake District and there was a time for years and years where she would hear owls every night around her house but she never ever saw them. Then she spotted one tawny, and then one tawny led to another...and then she started to see them all the time! She got her owl eye in, you might say. She was lucky to find a trio of owlets close to her home and it was so lovely to read about her encounters as she watched them grow. I have learned so much about these incredible creatures by reading her lovely book.
Living so close to the woods I too hear tawny owls a hootin' all the time but, apart from the owlets who they were on the other side of town, I have only seen one tawny close to home. I'm really inspired by Polly's 'owl attention' and she's made me realise it's very possible to spot them if you give yourself the opportunity.
So thank you Polly. I'm glad the algorithm showed you our owlets and thankyou for saying hello. And would you like to borrow this book? Then we can talk even more owl!
P.s. this very intriguing bit of branch turned up right in the middle of our garden table last week. I like to think it was delivered by owl...but is anyone gonna own up. It's a mystery!
