Owl boxes

I'm about two thirds of the way through checking my Tawny Owl boxes now and with the weather as it has been it has been pure pleasure. About 25% of them contain females sitting on eggs and as usual the rest are a random array of Stock Doves, Jackdaws and squirrels. Sitting females we leave well alone, so who knows how many eggs are involved, although one particularly feisty mother was making such a fuss we took her out and Duncan's first encounter with an adult Tawny will live forever in the scar tissue on his hands... Fortunately, she went back down quietly and quickly on her nest after we'd processed her.On Saturday, Meisha and Ruth came out to help and got a good dose of electric fences, barbed wire, ravenous sheep, growling squirrels and bumpy (not to mention steep) off-road driving. Who needs a Landrover... But it was another gorgeous day and there were butterflies and migrant birds everywhere. As well as the Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers that have been around for some time, we found Whitethroats all over the place and the odd Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler. Yellow Wagtails and Swallows were also regular as well as the odd House Martin.
There were birds to ring too and Ruth and Meisha were both pleased with their first Stock Doves. Aren't they gorgeous?
Pete