A tawny owl paid a visit to Bentworth couple Rob Good and Penny Peters.

They live in Drury Lane and from early June heard squeaks and screeches; mainly at night, sometimes every few seconds.

Rob said: “At first we thought it was a squirrel because we first noticed it during the day. We then thought the sounds moved, but we couldn’t see anything moving. It gradually dawned on us that there was more than one source. My online research revealed a similar call from owls. They still call sometimes during the day.

“Our neighbour sent us a photo and a video of an owl. She said there were three and that they were tawny owls, the ones which give the traditional ‘whoo-hoo’ as male adults.  Nature Watch made us appreciate that they must be ‘branching’ – moving temporarily away from the nest but still begging for food. The calls come from a little group of trees but are not limited to a single nest tree. We haven’t spotted the nest.

“While enjoying a coffee on our patio I was checking owl sounds on a bird recognition app, Merlin, when an owl – no doubt curious about the owl sounds – landed on our fence.

“Tawny owls are dependent on their parents for food for up to three months after leaving the nest, so we expect to hear from them for some time yet.”