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Muncaster Castle visit

Janey

By Janey

30 comments


We were very lucky last week to enjoy spending a few days in the beautiful Lake District. The weather I’m thankful to say was sunshine with the odd shower, different to this week, I’m not sure if this week we would have made it home! The highlight for me was a visit to Muncaster Castle on the western side of the Lakes near Wast water.

The castle itself has been in the Pennington family since 1208 and is home to the World Owl Centre. To see these amazing, beautiful birds, there are over 200 species there,
was fantastic and I’ve included some pics here. Beautiful gardens are another great attraction of the estate and there were many gorgeous Hydrangeas still in bloom.

Majestic Muncaster, still loved and lived in by the Pennington-Ramsdens.

The view across to the Lakeland fells.

Not sure of his type, but isn’t he a beauty!

A Long eared Owl

This is the Great Grey Owl, such incredible markings!

Snowy Owl

This Little Owl, certainly had his sights set on Lottie!

A little camera shy, but watching me watching him.

Not an Owl but a Buzzard, born and bred there and used to being fed and handled. Many more are bred and released into the wild as their numbers are rapidly decreasing.

Tythe the Barn Owl – my favourite bird.

I was thrilled to have my photo taken with Tythe, he was so light, even the gauntlet was heavier…….

This is Chocolate, a European Eagle Owl, and the youngest there at 12weeks old.

Here with his keeper, he has the most amazing orange eyes.

Time for a cup of tea and cake, then a long drive back, but what a great day we’d had and what amazing birds we’d seen!

More blog posts by Janey

Previous post: Day of the Butterflies!

Next post: How about this for your tree trunks Amy....:o)))



Comments

 

Oh they are just gorgeous!! Straight in my favourites :o)

27 Sep, 2012

 

Fantastic birds Janey - what a good day out eh?

27 Sep, 2012

 

Oh Janey, what a fabulous blog, and straight into my Favourites too, as I adore Owls and your photos are stunning as always.. Thank you for posting such a beautiful and interesting article..\0/x

28 Sep, 2012

 

Thanks Janey . . . brilliant photos. I had no idea Snowy Owls were so small!

28 Sep, 2012

 

Lovely blog Janey...Isn't the owl in the first pic beautiful....He reminds me of Miss Havisham in Great Expectations....Lol...:>)

28 Sep, 2012

 

What a marvelous blog, Janey, esp. the different kinds of amazing owl:-))))))))))))

28 Sep, 2012

amy
Amy
 

I'm so pleased that both you Ian and not forgetting Lottie had such a wonderful few days break Janey , I suspect that little owl thought Lottie would make a tasty snack :o)) I didn't know about this place or that it was the world Owl centre , what beautiful creatures they all are , thank you for showing your excellant photos I shall remember it if and when we are up that way visiting :o))

28 Sep, 2012

 

lovely blog brought back happy memories of our visit there lasy year, I also wrote a blog on it. A fantastic place and those Owls are just fascinating, didyou go round the castle Janey an amazing place inside and thedicta phoneswere very handy to listen too as you go from room to room, Thanks for showing;0)

28 Sep, 2012

 

Thanks girls!.......:)). I didn't realise there were so many different Owls, Geranium, and so unusual with furry eyelids...lol! It was great day out Sheila, though we did go over the passes between the mountains that WAS hairy! Thanks Florrie and Sheila, going to pm you Sheila about the elusive geranium...lol.
The first Owl was incredible, about 2ft tall Moti, he reminded me of a grey Orville.....can see what you mean about Miss Haversham though..ha.ha. Junna, there were many more than in these pics, and all watching us too, they must have thought we were very odd creatures...:)
We did enjoy it Amy, I suggested taking the shorter route through the passes, Wrynose and Hardnott....it took us an extra hour and a half...lol! You would love it there, maybe mid summer, the gardens were in-between , just on the way to colouring up for autumn.
Had a look at your great blog Carole, we loved Braithwaite when we honeymooned there....everywhere was snow and Skiddaw looked amazing! Maybe if we go to Muncaster again, we'll have a good look round inside, don't want to bump into any of their famous ghosts though.

28 Sep, 2012

 

I remember Oliveoil putting a blog on about this place. It is amazing...I would love to visit. In fact, your blog has made me really want to go to the Lake District. I think I shall start planning a visit for next summer....it is so beautiful! :) Thanks for sharing Janey, love the owls! Btw, there are many Buzzards up here, too many some say!

28 Sep, 2012

 

Owls are my favourite birds,Janey..a lovely blog and pics..all the years we lived in Cumbria,we never visited Muncaster Castle..but as a teenager,it wasn't my thing then :o)So pleased you had a lovely holiday :o)

28 Sep, 2012

 

How wonderful Janey. I love owls and loved getting a glimpse at so many all together like this. Wonderful experience. The one with long ears lives here, the great horned owl. I think they even stay for winter. The pic took me right back to childhood when I came upon one just feet from me on a branch. Suddenly flew away without a sound gliding into the valley. Absolutely majestic and nearly my size! Thank you for that. :-)

28 Sep, 2012

 

Sheilabub, forgot to say, the Snowy Owl was about 20ins so not so small, Now Tythe the Barn Owl was surprisingly small I thought. If you've ever seen one flying at dusk, their wings are the largest part aren't they, but to hold him wings closed, so slight was incredible...:))

Oh, will have to have a look at your Mums blog Karen, you would really love it, we've always visited, so many beautiful places to visit, sometime I would like to visit Levens Hall with really fantastic topiary to see. Very rainy as you know, but you're used to bad weather....lol!

Thanks Bloomer, no I can understand that, it wouldn't have interested me then either...lol.

Pleased you enjoyed it GT and giving the right name to the Great Horned Owl, that certainly would have been an incredible experience, quite scary I bet, especially when you were small. That's the wonderful thing about them isn't it the camouflage feathering and silent movement.

28 Sep, 2012

 

Amazing photographs Janey, a rare treat to see so many owls in one place, my OH would have been in his element....

28 Sep, 2012

 

My OH also loves owls, and sadly we have seen a Barn Owl very close up, as we found one drowned in our little swimming pool in a villa on Crete :(( Beautiful birds.

29 Sep, 2012

 

Super photos Janey. We were in The Lake District last week (didn't want to leave despite the showers) and while there we had Munster crab on the menu. At the time neither of us knew where Munster was but now I know. If ever we get up that way again I'll try to include a visit to the area.

29 Sep, 2012

 

It was great Dd to see so many and so different....
That's a shame Sheila, I wonder if it was swooping for a drink?
Yes we loved our few days there Jenko too, it's such a magical are isn't it...:)). Now as regards Munster, well that's southern Ireland, where your crabs will have come from, this is Muncaster.....don't be going by Munster to get here....lol....it'll take you forever....:))

30 Sep, 2012

 

That could be it Janey, and there was a tallish wall at the back . . . can owls see in the dark??? I suppose they must be able to (showing my ignorance here!).

30 Sep, 2012

 

Great blog Janey, so interesting. A friend of ours had a barn owl years ago called Shadow. I was introduced to him/her when he was young. He sat on my hand looking very cute and, staring me in the eye, grabbed my lip with his beak. I couldn't get him to let go, as I tried to pull him off me, my poor lip was streching madly. Very painful it was, he must have thought it was food lol:-)

30 Sep, 2012

 

.Ouch,Ba! How painful..sorry, but I have this vision of an owl hanging on to your lip :o))))...Were you the first to make it look fuller,without an implant ?? ..I have heard of the trout pout,but not an owl pout!! Lol..

1 Oct, 2012

 

Poor thing Sheila, well they have huge eyes to let in as much light as poss I suppose. Getting his feathers soaked and no where to take off would have been it I would say.

Oh Ba, that must have hurt, but so funny too....lol! You didn't ask him for a kiss, just a peck??? What an awful experience, he maybe didn't like your lipstick.....:))

He he Bloomer.....owl pout!! Now that is NOT funny.....the first trials of Bowltox....:))

1 Oct, 2012

 

Lol,Janey..couldn't resist..and your's is just as bad ! :o))
wonder what response we will get from Ba ? ! ha ha..

1 Oct, 2012

 

Why are we waiting!......:)). She must be conjuring up something to floor us in one fell swoop...whooooo......

1 Oct, 2012

 

Scary ! I'm shaking in my slippers ! Lol..

1 Oct, 2012

 

Beautiful pics. Janey, what a lovely place to visit, I too love owls such gentle creatures (except when biting lips!) that view across to the fells is fantastic.

3 Oct, 2012

 

GF and I visited the Lake District last February...so lovely there..I did get to see the Owls at Lake Windemere..the whole area was wonderful..We had Marley our Springer Spaniel with us...so could not go into a lot of gardens..but saw so much on walks where we could go...very lovely..thank you for this blog Janey..what a nice memory and such nice photo's .

23 Oct, 2012

 

One of our favourite areas Cat, we've been there in all seasons, and every one is magical. Please you enjoyed the visit....:))

23 Oct, 2012

 

That is amazing - I adore owls and have ornaments of them too- see the barn owl too now - the great grey owl I saw tonight on frozen planet. Added to favourites !!!

31 Dec, 2012

 

What a great blog, Janey. Thank you so much.
Where is this "Lake" region in the UK?
European Eagle Owl is very common in Slovakia and it is the largest owl. The young owl on the first photo has expression as an old sleepy witch, who is bothered and is going to tell you something :)) And that cute one eye blink of a Long Eared Owl. So lovely and such a great blog. Thank you for sharing it.
My last question: if this is World Owl Centre, do they do something globally?

1 Jan, 2013

 

Janey,
I love your owl pictures they are such beautiful birds. 2 nights ago were serenaded by a trio of Great Horned owls in the trees around our bedroom. They kept calling each other all night long. It was quite a hoot! LOL
How lucky to have been able to hold one!
Lisa

1 Jan, 2013

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