Fallen owl chick helped back to nest at North Somerset school

An owl chick found in the grounds of a North Somerset school and named Twiglet by staff who returned it to its nest has caught the imagination of students.

The young little owl fell from a tree at Downs Preparatory School in Wraxall.

Caroline Lucas, the school's marketing officer, contacted Secret World Wildlife Rescue in Somerset and was advised to return the owl to its nest.

She said: “The estates team came with tractors and ladders and we found a little hollow and we popped him back."

She added: "He just ran in. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life.”

Ms Lucas said she instinctively knew how the students at the North Somerset school would react “and the name really helped them to embrace it".

“Even younger members of the school brought in their owl books. It’s a lovely way for us to connect with nature, which is what we’re good at here.”

Ms Lucas described Twiglet as “so clever”, adding: “He was hopping around and I was at least 100 yds [91m] away when he saw me and he threw himself on the ground and played dead.”

The school's estates team Peter Brockwell, Jamie Capern and James Canby all helped on the day.

Mr Brockwell said: "We got a ladder and looked around the hollow and noticed a piece of fleece, that fleece was attached to a twig and then we saw owl pellets and realised it was the nest."

Mr Capern carefully picked the owl up and they put it in the nest.

Ms Lucas said: “As soon as we got him up to the hollow in the tree he just skipped off.

“The next day we popped to check and he wasn’t there so we assume he fledged. We’re just happy we got him back into the tree.”

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