This barn owl was nicknamed “Tappy” because of the way he tapped his feet. But when he trapped a talon during a lover's tiff, not only was poor Tappy unable to tap, he also could no longer hunt - if he was going to survive, I had to free his claw.
Injured in a courtship dispute
This male barn owl is relatively new to the area. He's been roosting in Ash Tree, Ash Wood, and earned the nickname 'Tappy Feet' , now shortened to 'Tappy', after the way he would step sideways around the nest box. When he then attracted a mate, a female with distinctive speckles, or sparkles, on her breast feathers, it was hoped this new pair would nest. But their early courtship was volatile and the two owls were often spotted on the cameras locked in battle. Then, as the two locked talons, Tappy was injured - his toe painfully twisted and wrapped behind his leg.
Barn owl rescue
It was clear from the way he held his foot up that he was in pain, but I wanted to give the claw a chance to free itself so I waited a few days. It's never a good idea to intervene unless you have to, but when it was clear the situation was not going to resolve itself, I took a ladder and climbed up to the nest. Luckily I was able to unhook the talon and return Tappy to the nest - and already he and Sparkle seem to have resumed their courtship which is thankfully a lot calmer now!
