Ollie

JollyKernow replied on 28/07/2023 17:03

JollyKernow

Posted on 28/07/2023 17:03

Afternoon

Anyone who has been to the club's Grafham Water Site in Cambs will have seen the wonderful great American horned owl called Ollie. We did some work there a couple of years ago and got to feed it it's daily chicken leg on the birdtable outside reception watching it feed less than 2 meters away. Sadly Ollie has succumbed to avian flu. It turns out Ollie was a she and 23 years old but was a fantastic specimen and a sight to behold.

3 people like this

9 replies

Tinwheeler replied on 28/07/2023 17:43

Tinwheeler

Campervanner from Cornwall

Posted on 28/07/2023 17:43

What a shame.

I heard her but never saw her.

TimboC replied on 28/07/2023 19:07

Member

TimboC

Caravanner

Posted on 28/07/2023 19:07

Not great photos, but we saw her there in May 2021. Such a beautiful bird, and with a fine pair of lungs!

She'll be missed

Gallery

JollyKernow replied on 28/07/2023 19:28

Member

JollyKernow

Motorhomer from Devon

Posted on 28/07/2023 19:28

I have quite a lot of video of her feeding at close range and also sitting early evening on the bridge over the pond on site. Pity I can't share here.

Wherenext replied on 28/07/2023 20:52

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Wherenext

Caravanner

Posted on 28/07/2023 20:52

Thanks for letting us know JK.

A sad sign of the times.

Takethedogalong replied on 28/07/2023 20:55

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Takethedogalong

Posted on 28/07/2023 20:55

Thank you for sharing JK. So very sad.

peedee replied on 29/07/2023 06:48

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peedee

Motorhomer from Bedfordshire

Posted on 29/07/2023 06:48

Stayed there many years ago but didn't know there was a resident owl. (possibly longer than 23 years ago) Bird flu has decimated some colonies of birds. Sad to read it has claimed such a fine bird.

peedee

Metheven replied on 29/07/2023 09:52

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Metheven

Caravanner

Posted on 29/07/2023 09:52

Sad indeed, I did get to see Ollie when there about 6 years back.

Takethedogalong replied on 29/07/2023 17:21

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Takethedogalong

Posted on 29/07/2023 17:21

There are some beautiful photographs, and some video footage of Ollie online. Haven’t copied any as didn’t want to fall foul of anyone’s copyright. Apparently he was named Ollie after Oliver Cromwell, whose family had land nearby. Such a beautiful bird. My aunt helped raise rescued owls, she would have loved Ollie🙂