Monday 25 October

There's a lot that can be said for modern advances, such as webcams . What has struck me so much in the past couple of weeks is how we all seem to crave some form of contact with the natural world. Our busy lives dictate when and where we can spend our free time. We get so caught up in our fast-paced lives that we literally don't make time to stop and smell the roses. Then along came webcams. Now, you are making dinner with an owl hooting in the background, as you watch the feeding of its young. Or with the click of a button, you can be on the other side of the world watching and listening to something equally as spectacular. We are truly fortunate!

For those not watching our owl family 24/7, here's an update. The two bigger chicks have begun exploring. Today they've stood casually on the lip of the pot, with expressions of "You can't stop us now" on their faces. Teeny remains in the pot -thankfully. In the early evening, the bigger chicks took turn stepping on the lip of the pot, and furiously flapping their wings

Their wing spans are impressive now, and far belie their tiny frames. As some of you saw on the webcam recently, the ferocity with which the chicks flap their wings can make them airborne - almost like a helicopter lifting. Of course, unlike a helicopter, they don't have the power yet to remain in the skies, so they come crashing down. It's all a big learning curve now for our chicks.

Teeny continues to grow and get stronger. Come meal time, Teeny becomes the most vocal and will stop at nothing to get food. He / she is quite prepared to push 'n shove, and jump and flap to get to the food. But if Teeny misses out on that incoming morsel, he /she will wait patiently for the next food to arrive - just like its siblings.