Villager Jim captures stunning photo of Peak District owls getting first glimpse of the world

Wildlife photographer Villager Jim waited weeks for the youngsters to appear - but it took the encouragement of their mum to get them to show their faces. Jim says he has visited the barn every day as part of his routine nature walk.

He explains: "Owls are my favourite things to photograph and I know where so many are nesting around the Peak District. So I have a route I have of maybe forty miles I do every day, which goes around these places.

"I have been seeing this pair of adult barn owls that live in this particular barn, and watching and seeing them go in with voles all the time, and then start to hear screeching, which is what the babies do. I thought in the next few days one of the young owls is going to start popping out of the barn.

"The day before, the mum was on the wall with a vole in her beak, screeching to them, trying to get them to come out. I had heard them screeching inside, getting louder and louder, so they were becoming ready. Then, on Monday, I had the view of the four owlets perched in the window frame. It was lovely.”

"It will take them a few weeks before they fledge and go, so the mum will be feeding them constantly," Villager Jim added.