"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:
Quoted message said:Tony Wright said:A couple of weeks ago Peter and I put new galvanised tin roof on
Gran's potting shed. That's not actually true, I put the roof on
following Peter's instructions and suffred the consequences. Trouble
is that new roof is higher than previous, so the telephone and alarm
cables going to the office are rubbing on it. In addition either the
oak tree (where the cables cross the road) besides Gran's small
greenhouse has grown or the greenhouse has subsided -- or both.
Nevertheless the cable was tight.The following weekend Peter and I have a do at the cables which
involves me going up ladder against the oak tree to check out the
phone cable. Covered with ivy, but Peter had wisely handed me some
snips that would make a dent in the QE II.So I'm up the ladder trying to find the phone cable in all the bloody
ivy and Peter says; Hey Tony, look at the first oak tree on your
right, there's an owl on the branch going off to the left. Took me a
few seconds, but then there it was -- a full grown tawny owl. It was
calling loudly and a replying call seemed to be coming from somewhere
behind us or across the road.Peter, complete with walking stick, figured we must be doing
something to upset the mother wol since it showed itself so boldly,
so he had a look around the base of the oak tree. Sure enough, in a
hollow at the base of the oak tree, obscured by ivy was an owlet --
all white fluff, eyes and beak.So I finish slacking off the phone cable and get back to solid earth,
peer around the oak tree at the mini-wol and mother starts shouting.
Go back to re-doing the cables between small greenhouse and office.
Mother disappears.What to do? Gran tries to ring Flynn who is a bird expert, puts out
wol boxes and has a stretch of estuary he counts regularly. Flynn
isn't answering his phone but comes later and says the owlet is OK.I email Malcom O. who kindly advises to take Flynn's advice amongst
other useful tips about diet. Gran had in mind getting some liver,
steak and kidney for it on the weekly shop. Not a good idea, as small
wol needs roughage as in fur and other stuff. High protein by itself
can damage feather growth. Well damn, I didn't know that.The Tuesday after I'd been doing cables the weather turned wet and
cold, so Peter made the mini-wol a shelter with snug lining --
mini-wol wasted no time in getting comfortable. Tough guy, Peter --
so he is.Penny the cat frequently leaves Gran parcels on the doorstep from her
night's hunting mixen, voles and lord knows what else. Sorry, I've
just realised that it is most definitely Penny The Cat (with
capitols) -- she's been very pleasant with me while R&R were in
Arizona, but that is only because she has been short of Staff. So if
Gran takes Penny's parcels down to the baby-wol things should be OK.Anyway, a week later and the owlet is still fine. Rachel's comment
was that unless you can see its feet, you can't tell which way it is
actually facing, since they rotate their heads through 180 degrees.The thought that a small, bundle-of-fluff owlet may grow up to be the
scourge of the mosses is lovely.Nature is such a wonderful thing. To witness it at work is a
privilege. --
TonyYou raving queer paedtofile.
Thanks, Tone.
Thanks, Tone.
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