Sooty owl rescued from wood burner recovering well

A tawny owl discovered trapped after falling down a chimney into a wood burner flue is making a steady recovery.

The soot-covered owl was pulled from the flue of the unused stove at a holiday home in Upwey near Weymouth shortly after New Year.

The owl was unable to open its eyes due to soot from the wood burner's flue and had been struggling to land on a perch.

Wildlife conservationist Derek Davey, who has been caring for the owl, said it was "progressing well but not quite ready for release" as it was awaiting further eye checks by a vet.

Mr Davey said the flying and landings of the owl, nicknamed Sooty, had improved but he had discovered it had a talon needing treatment "which might be why she fell down the flue".

He added the owl was on pain relief for its talon which "needed a bit more time to heal".

And despite eating mice well, it also still needed to gain some weight before being released.

The owl was rescued by pest control expert Kenny Best and a log burner specialist after the guests staying at the holiday let over the festive break heard scratching noises from inside the flue.

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