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SNOWY and SPOTTY

Farmlife Heros

By kayhan egeliPublished 2 years ago 11 min read
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LOVE BIRDS

It was an early spring morning with thick fog in WildOak Farm. WildOak Farm is placed in the middle of woodland with wildflower meadows. It is named after a few centuries old Oaktree. It has very deep roots like a veins network visible on the surface of the ground with a very large girth, having a height of more than 15 metres and many thick branches it is the pride and ancestor of our farm. We have a remote woodland farm with a few cattle, sheep, chickens and other usual pets that use the wood and grasslands around the farm. It also attracts and provides a home to badgers, barn owls, bats, birds and woodpeckers of wildlife with its water stream around the farmyard. It is a lovely place for Birders. Springtime, farmland covered with the bluebells, daffodils and a wide range of wildflowers with beautiful dark green grassland while the livestock lazily sleeps and grazes around pen houses. But running a farm is a very difficult and harsh one must be weatherproof against the frozen soil, rain, snow and crazy winds in winters. Each season brings its own benefits and difficulties one has to learn to live with them.

I had been up for a few hours to feed the animals and prepare our farm for the day. Being a weekend things are a little bit easier kids are still in bed. I and my wife Maggie are making sure breakfast is ready for them. I waited to fetch the fresh eggs from the chicken coop with our children Beny and Lili as it's their favourite weekend hobby.

" Good morning, dad, good morning mum we are ready for the egg hunt," Lili said. " Come on then let's do it, I am starved to have my breakfast," I said and left the kitchen. Our chicken coop is a wooden one with two floors as they lay the eggs on the second floor. It's got an extension to provide a walking pen to protect them from the wildlife around them. we normally get 10/15 eggs each day. " I shall go first," Beny said. While he walked into the pen we heard a screeching sound coming behind the hut." What is that Dady," Lili asked grabbing my hand and could see she was really confused and scared. " Beny, please come down we will finish it later, I need to check the weird sound we heard," I shouted. I walk around the hen pen while Lili shadowing me quietly. What we find out was amazing. It was this little Owlet trying to walk through the thick grass but keep falling every time. "What is it Dad," Lili asked. " It is a baby owl maybe it's got lost somehow. I shall pick it up and look at it don't move anywhere stay together," I told her.

I slowly approached and picked the baby owl up and saw a few blood stains on its wing. It wasn't injured somehow. I told the children nothing to worry about and let them stroke it. I made a call to my Vet friend to find out the owlet." Hi Tony, It is Sean. It is a different animal to report. We just found a little owl I think it is hurt, any chance of seeing it and any advice on what to do with it," I asked. "Listen, no problem I shall pop in being weekend not doing anything will be there in fifteen minutes see you," he said. Just turn round tell the children we are going back home and reminded Beny to get the eggs with him.

"Dad, can we call our little friend 'Wizzy' because of the screeching sound it makes please," Lili asked " Is it okay to keep him in the barn with our pony Brownie," Beny added "No problem, but need to check with Tony to get his advice we never had owl before," I told children.

" Sean, It is a little cute thing lovely specimen of owl, Look I can't find anything wrong with it. It may have been hurt when dropped from his nest nothing broken blood stains might be from his nest kind of birthmarks otherwise it's perfect not to worry. I bet nest might be at the Oaktree," Tony said." I shall also ask my friend Jane to give you a call she is an expert on Owls might be helpful if you thinking of keeping it, just a point from me if you keep it make a card box nest for him to stay in the barn and possibly put it a very high place for its security. If I am right you will also find that parents will be searching for it and will find it in no time good luck," Tony advised and left.

We were all excited. Maggie and the children made a solid and very big nest from cardboard, Wizzy settle down for the night with his new friend our Brownie. It was almost after midnight I woke up with a very loud growling, screeching and very painful sour sound. I look out from the window wondering what was happening? Foxes are dangerous to our chickens may have an attack on their coop I thought. Run downstairs picked my stick for protection and went out to see, Maggie was next to me. " This is really crazy can you see two Owls making all that noise and pecking the barn door, we need to open the door. Brownie must already be stressed with the noise and frightened. Parents came for Wizzy," I saw Maggie was already opening the barn door. They flew in from the narrow opening of the barn and got into the nest box. " Come on Maggie, we've got to leave them alone let's go to bed and sort it out tomorrow morning they will take Wizzy away I guess we have to find a way of telling Beny and Lili," and got into the house.

In the morning we were both silent and trying to find a reason for Wizzy's disappearance. Maggie suddenly screamed, " Look at the window Sean" I turned around and saw two beautiful white Owls staring at us from the hedge of the window. We were both frozen did not know what to say but I heard Lili shouting " Mum, Dad where is these lovely birds from, " "Beny quick!! you've got to see this" Lili shouted. We all got out and walk to them slowly and cautiously. They flew back to the barn. We followed them.

It was amazing unusual to see two beautiful owls standing by each other with their siblings of three staring at us from the top of the ceiling. Parents were pure white in colour except one was like a dalmatian with its spotted black feathers. They had a smoothly rounded head,medium-length beaks, faces were heart shape and dark coloured curious eyes was a statement that sibling protection was there. They were going to stay with us.

"Dad, can we call the parents Spotty and Snowy and the babies as Poppy, Tipsy and Whizzy please," Lili asked. " It is okay with us as long as you and Beny are happy we have new additional friends to our new wildlife on the farm," Maggie said. I also called Jane just to get some instructions on how to handle them but she said was going to come and see them in the afternoon.

"Hi Jane, these are our new friends we do not have much clue how to deal with them. Just need instructions to help them live in the barn freely and happily," I told her. " They are beautiful and are not going to make any difference to your stock but will help, improve and protect your farm life. They are known to symbolise wisdom, silence and mystique around them. You have already done the right thing with the nest box. Do not clean it. Owls hunt nighttime to feed the owlets. They swallow their prey whole skin, bones, etc., but will not digest all but cough up pellets in the nest box to feed the young ones. The one that looks like dalmatian is the female one they are showier than the male ones. If you have bird watchers around will enjoy their presence when all start flying together. They are very homely like parrots. If you have a stand in the house they may come and sit there while watching you closely. You will enjoy it !!! One last thing they eat is small rodents, mice, rats, bats etc., You might hear owlets screeching while they are hunting. Get used to it. Hope this will be informative for you but if you have any other problems give me a call," She smiled and walked to her car. We had our new bird addition to our farm life.

Nearly four months later owls were all together and flying all around the farmland. They also made a nest in our oak tree. We called it their summerhouse. Young ones were adventurous disappearing for a few days and coming back was not unusual for them. Spotty and Snowy became part of our family life sharing evenings on their stand next to the fireplace in the living room was the norm since stop hunting for the young ones. Summer coming to end I organised a family campfire night on the lawn. We were all looking forward to it and we were going to have a few friends including Tony and his family and Jane for our famous summer barbeque at the campfire. Farm life is dominated by the seasons and each one has its own problems to the next one to take care of. During this summer's perfect weather conditions we had a good harvest of hays for the farm animals feed. This was a celebration party for that.

Everything had organised and scheduled timely. Campfire set near the oak tree. Blankets spread over the grass with portable chairs around. Magie spread a good food outlet from sandwiches, pies and cakes to enjoy ourselves. It was a lovely summer evening. I set up the barbeque and start grilling sausages beefburgers and a few veggies on it.

The sky was clear and full of bright shiny stars kind of invitation to stargazing but adults boozing kids are running around the farm nobody had time for it. Spotty and Snowy were flying around kind of showing off to our friends. " What a lovely evening enjoying every second of it!" I told Magie. By that time we were all tipsy and got ready for toasting yummy marshmallows for the children.

It was very sudden a Lili screamed her head off. She was together with Beny. They started crying loud. We are trying to find out what was going on being night time was difficult to see " Okay honey what is the problem ?" I asked " It is a snake Daddy, we can't move just it is on our righthand side, " Lili said. Looking at it I saw a 5-foot black adder curled but staring at our children ready to snap and bite. Adder was in cobra move. My first reaction was " Stay put don't move I shall try to get rid of it I need my stick," I shouted. We did not know what to do in this serious situation. In a flash of a second, We heard the loud screeching and growling of deafening sounds made by Snowy and Stoppy before diving from the tree where they were watching us, in complete silence Snowy grabbed the adder from his head but the adder was quick enough to bite his leg. He flew away. In the meantime, like a lightning, Spotty had already attacked the adder's tail lifted him up in the air and flew away together. This was an incredible scene it looked like happening in the movies. She disappeared in the darkness while we were catching our breath and thanking for our good fortunes. But realised Snowy was lying down on the grass was not moving Tony, rushed to him and examined Snowy. " It looks like venomous bite by an adder, I need to fetch my medical bag from the car I've got the anti-venomous serum," he said and took Snowy with him. Snowy was asleep the next hour. Lili and Beny start crying while Magie was calming them down and wishing for him to recover. Spotty came back and was resting at the tree and watching Snowy. Snowy was back on its feet. It was a big relief for everybody. We just thank Tony for the help. Our owls stood proudly together staring at us. We packed it for the night and went back to the house. What a night had been!!!

Snowy and Spotty saved our children live maybe as gratitude to one old little deed to us saving their baby's life. They were our farmland heroes. I could sleep well in the evenings. We not only have good farm pets also had the very best night guards. Things couldn't be better. It will be a new day tomorrow.

children
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About the Creator

kayhan egeli

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