It’s been a mixed bag for the Marina’s owls and owl lovers in recent weeks.
On the bright side, local resident Ursula Korber spotted this charming owlet while walking her dogs in Mullet Close, Uitsig, earlier this month. Her picture attracted a wave of upbeat emojis and comments when she posted it on the MDGA’s community Facebook page. It also inspired another resident, Joy Skene, to post a picture of an adult owl that she spotted in the same area, possibly one of the owlet’s parents.
At the other end of the Marina, however, there was no happy ending for two other adult owls after their chances of raising a family were shattered ‒ for the time being, at least. The breeding pair became a fixed feature of life in Burgee Bend during the winter. Perched imperiously in the high trees, they attracted a steady stream of admirers from across the Marina over several months. When Burgee Bend resident, Carole Fallows, reported that the female had laid two eggs in a palm tree in her garden, expectations among the pair’s fan base steadily rose. That was until Carole found both eggs shattered beyond rescue on the ground under her palm tree.
As one neighbour commented: “For better or for worse, it’s stories like these that make us realise how privileged we are to live this close to nature.” Unfortunately, Burgee Bend residents are no longer close to the bereaved owls, who appear to have moved on following their loss.
