They don't give a hoot! Owlets spotted snuggled up in tree as their mother huts for food

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:37, 15 May 2026 | Updated: 01:38, 15 May 2026 Two adorable tawny owl chicks were spotted snuggled together on a tree branch as their mother briefly left them to hunt for food. The fluffy owlets appeared completely unfazed as they perched side-by-side high above the forest floor at a nature spot in East Dorset. But the peaceful moment soon turned dramatic when a crow swooped in after noticing the youngsters had been left momentarily unguarded. The opportunistic bird tried pecking at one of the vulnerable chicks before eventually giving up and flying away empty-handed.  Fortunately, the owlet escaped unharmed and remained safely tucked beside its sibling following the brief attack. The remarkable scenes were captured on camera by wildlife photographer Andrew Pattenden, who witnessed the tense encounter unfold in the treetops. Two adorable tawny owl chicks were spotted snuggled together on a tree branch as their mother briefly left them to hunt for food No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.