Barn owl chicks

Please view large
Well, we're back. I've had the best birthday ever and didn't want to come home. :(
Last Saturday I was 60. I don't feel any different even though I now get free prescriptions and eye tests (no free bus pass until I reach pensionable age; another couple of years).
We had a house party last weekend - friends and family were very good and travelled to the Lakes to join me for the weekend and then Simon, Helen, Louise and 2 other friends stayed on for longer.
While the rest of the country had lots of rain last week, remarkably we had very little and even had a couple of beautifully sunny days.
Having arrived home, unpacked the mountain of food and drink that we didn't manage to consume (I'm at least 8lbs heavier!) and collected 2 very bored and disgruntled cats from the cat 'hotel' Helen and went round to check on the barn owl chicks.
This is a photo of 2 of the 3 chicks (We think the 4th didn't make it) that have fledged. We could see the 3rd chick by the nest box but didn't disturb it. We watched these two fly into nearby trees but couldn't see mum. Had a quick chat with the farmer and his wife and then came home.
I'll be backblipping days that I missed - but don't expect too much as I really did have a week off!
Having planned to catch up on blips we found that we had absolutely no signal at all in and around the house - and no internet in the property either!! Having got over this shock we did manage to overcome the withdrawal symptoms and didn't let it affect us too much!!
Catch up with you tomorrow
Canon 1d; 420mm; ISO3200; f/5; 1/80"