29 July 2024 : A Stoat trying to raid a Barn Owl Nest and a Perigrine Falcon

The sun was out if not shining so I took a walk in West Cumbria not far from home to see how the Barn Owl chicks in the nest were doing. All three young were in the nest with the parent perched not far away, and as the light faded it didnt look like I was going to see them fledge or the parent hunt, so I was about to leave when I noticed a movement in the rock to the right of the nest. I was a long way away but at maximum zoom I realised there was a stoat in the rock next to the Owls, and the chcick started screaming at it, the stoat thought better of it as the chicks are big now and made quick his escape.

The photos wont win any awards as the are so far away but it at least shows the scene i witnessed! Just to make the trip even better as I was leaving the sun came out and lit up a Peregrine Falcon leaving its perch on the top of a cliff. Birdwatching tonight was far from boring.