Owl cam is back!

The Owl family are back and we are excited to share their movements with you via our live feed. 

The story so far...

Bill and Millie Gates are now back on the scene and all at the Mill Gate Shopping Centre are waiting with baited breath to see if they are going to raise a new family this Spring!

During the latter half of January Bill has been seen and heard regularly after dust 'hooting' from a prominent tree branch in this wooded area close to Bury Town centre.

He is protecting his mate Millie and his territory, warding off other potential male owls that may be in the area.

Each night after dark Millie visits the owl box to check no squatters have moved in during the day whilst she has been sleeping. On one occasion we had a ' Mexican Stand Off' in broad daylight as a cheeky pair of squirrels decided they would move in! They quickly changed their mind when Bill and Millie decided to chase them off!

Millie frequently sits inside the owl box , kicking the dry sawdust out from beneath her to make a shallow hollow which will make a suitable place to lay her eggs. Her white eggs will be a little more rounded than some other birds so she doesn't want them rolling around !

Millie can be heard making her contact call 'keewik' from the nest site, indicating to Bill exactly where she is. In response Bill will fly to meet her and sometimes present her with food items. This will strengthen their bond and condition her for breeding as she knows if Bill can bring her supper each night he can hopefully step up to the mark if they are lucky enough to have some hungry, tiny balls of fluff to feed !

Just before dawn Millie returns each night to make sure the nest site is in order before retiring into thick evergreen trees out of site where she can safely roost during daylight hours.

Lets all keep our fingers crossed that Millie will soon lay an egg now Spring is nearly upon us!