I love Dogs me...

B2 & Pip, Thankyou, it is the way the natural world works but it don't make it any easier to witness. I'm convinced it was starvation by its lack of body mass. No downy feathers were evident so it wasn't that young. I'm wondering if it was a 'bad vole year' I know they go in cycles does the vole population. I know many Farmers who confirm that Barn Owls are a rarity in these parts. Traditional Barns are no longer used either, vermin control using chemicals could be hurting the Owls too, selling most the straw crop for bio-mass energy production, another one. Farm diversification another. A Farmer I know well has converted His farm from dairy to a 'petting Farm' to allow it to be opened to the public they've had to clean it up & eradicate vermin. The list goes on, the world seems to be ganging up on its natural inhabitants

We gang up on the natural world at our peril 😲😲😲😲😲

Good to read of your walk with your dogs, Rocky.

You've covered all the seasons in the 3 years this thread has been running and the 'feel' of the season always come across in your words. 

Very sad to read of the young Barn Owl, though.

I am sure you are right Rocky I seem to remember last year was a bad vole year and I only had one brood hatch but the year before I think it was - four broods with the last one having TEN eggs in the nest!  Four fledged from that brood.  .  They gave me their blessing (the owl people) to feed them that year but not for too long I case they had a very late brood.  One of my neighbours keeps raptors so there were plenty of day old ducklings in her freezer!  She told me I must skin them or the Owls would search for yellow prey!  After a few days I was relieved of this chore as an owl man said they hunt by sound not colour!  That was a relief I can tell you!  I am not all that squeamish but......

It's great having that level of knowledge Pip, thanks for the info-every day is a school day

Thanks Tinny, yes it was sad. It always is, no matter how long I live in the countryside I still can't just walk by without giving it a second thought. Some of us care, maybe a tad too much

Thanks for sharing your walk with us once more Rocky.

You can't care too much my friend, that is what makes you who you are.

Keep on caring and posting.

Thanks Nevs, it's who we are that's for sure.

Looks like I'm the last to read your great story again Rocky.

Thanks again for sharing.....I'll also say that you can't stop caring, you wouldn't be the same if you did and part of you would wither and die..... We don't want that, we want you as you are, caring and writing with the true passion that comes out in your stories...

Keep them coming mucka

Last?, I revel in the fact 1 person will share & appreciate my ramblings the fact a few have, that fills me with joy. Thanks for the support. It isn't a given that others will share it's a hope & the hope is fulfilled. I realise it's a gift to me that I have these things at the bottom of my garden, we all have them but not all have the time or inclination to go out & seek them. I do & I love sharing them-win/win Mucker