Rare owl saved from sticky end
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A rare barn owl has been saved from an untimely sticky end with the help of concerned walkers and their local gamekeeper.
Lauren Moir, daughter Layla and partner Dale Dunbar were enjoying a stroll in the Angus Glens area of the Cairngorms National Park when they came upon an owl flapping in thick mud in a water course.
Hot summer weather had caused the water to dry up, leaving a circle of thick, deep mud which had entrapped the curious owl as it had hunted for prey.
Eager to assist the distressed owl, Lauren tried to pile up stones in the mud to get closer to the owl before Dale finally managed to free it from its sticky berth with a branch.
With its feathers caked and matted, the walkers gathered up the stunned bird safely in Lauren’s hooded top, drove to her mother’s house and sought the advice of a gamekeeper on the local estate.
Calls were made to a friendly falconer and gamekeeper Garry MacLennan collected the owl, which the finders had named ‘Rowan’, and took it home for a clean up.
Taking on board the falconer’s recommendations, Rowan was bathed gently in a kitchen sink and dried off, freeing the mud which had made movement difficult for the bird.
Rowan was then kept warm overnight in a box, fed with a rabbit leg, and was checked in the morning.
Satisfied that the bird had regained its full strength and movement, gamekeeper Garry called on the group who freed Rowan from the ooze.
Watching on was young Layla, her friend Pyper and Garry’s son Mason, who assisted in the care, Rowan was let out of the box close to where it was found and flew happily towards trees at a field edge, where owls often nest.
Barn owls are Schedule One birds and are fully protected all year round.
There are only 4000 pairs in the UK. Without timely assistance, it is likely Rowan would have starved to death.
Lauren said: “When we first spied the owl, we knew we had to get it out. I started to pile stones to get closer but the mud was quite deep.
"I piled about 4 or 5 stones on top of each other so we could get as close to the bird as possible.
"Dale managed to hook the owl out of the mud with a stick from the woods. The whole thing took about 45 minutes.”
She added: “It was great to see Rowan get released and we are happy to know we probably saved its life.
"It was a really positive experience for my daughter Layla and her friend Pyper to see it flying away again.
Mr MacLennan, who bathed and fed the owl said: “We have four breeding pairs of barn owls on the estate.
"They are majestic birds and I love to watch them hunting at night. I was happy to help Rowan recover from otherwise a horrible death.”
