Loved-up owls 'move in together' at nature reserve
Everyone knows the plot. Boy meets girl. They date. And then they move in together and live happily ever after.
Except at Maiden Erlegh Nature Reserve in Earley, Berkshire, the characters in the love story are a pair of tawny owls.
Affectionately named Romeo and Juliet, the couple's romance began when they started calling to one another from their separate owl boxes on opposite sides of the nature reserve.
And now they have been pictured snuggled up together in one box, with hopes their next chapter could see the arrival of some owlets.
Max Brown, operations manager at Earley Town Council, said it showed conservation efforts at the reserve were working.
Mr Brown said park rangers teamed up with tree surgeons in September to reinstate owl boxes that had fallen into disrepair.
Nine days later, their "first inhabitant" - a male tawny owl - moved in, followed by a female across the reserve.
"They then started calling to one another," said Mr Brown.
"At the beginning of November one of our residents comes running up to us with a picture on his phone... of both the owls in the same box."
'Exciting developments'
He said the team was "over the moon", especially because it happened so quickly.
Mr Brown said the reinstatement of the owl boxes was just one project being rolled out across the nature reserve in efforts to improve habitat and biodiversity.
The owl activity was "really good feedback", as it showed they were creating a healthy environment with the right balance of natural factors and human interaction, he said.
And he added that he hoped the future would bring even more exciting developments for Romeo and Juliet.
"From what I gather, they go into their mating pattern and then in spring you start to see the offspring," he said.
"We are very hopeful for that... there's never any guarantees in nature but fingers crossed we will get lots of little owlets a some point."
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