Little Hayes Nursery School welcomed Paul from Birds of Prey Discovery with Flo the barn owl and Pip the little owl for an amazing and informative session.
Paul brought Flo, the barn owl who is 15 years old, and Pip, the little owl, who is 8 years old. The children were able to get up close to the owls and see their feathers, features and even some owl pellets. Because of their sharp talons, the children were not able to hold the owls, but some of the grown-ups could. When parents arrived, they were able to meet the owls and take lovely photos with their children, with parents just as excited as the children.
At circle time, Paul taught the nursery lots of interesting facts about the owls. Children learned that owls are birds of prey because they catch their prey with their talons. Barn owls live in the countryside and on farmland and eat mice, voles and other furry animals, catching them with their talons and eating them whole before spitting out all the bones and fur in a pellet.
The children discovered that owls have superpowers, including excellent hearing. Their ears are holes rather than flaps, and their heart-shaped face acts like a satellite dish directing sound into their ears. Owls can also fly silently so that their prey does not hear them. Flo has dark brown eyes, and children learned that owls with dark eyes come out at night time, making them nocturnal.
Pip was much smaller than Flo and has yellow and black eyes, which means she hunts during the daytime or at dusk and dawn. Little owls eat furry creatures too, but they also eat smaller things like worms, bugs and beetles. They live in the countryside and often near farms and orchards because they can find bugs on fallen apples or on cow pats.
The nursery heard both owls making screeching noises and learned that they can also hiss. Children discovered that owls do not say “twit twoo” as only tawny owls make that call.
Little Hayes Nursery School thanks Paul for an amazing and informative session. The children and adults have learned so much about these fascinating birds of prey, developing their understanding of the world and scientific curiosity through this memorable hands-on experience.
See more photos here.