Owls make an appearance at a Blackpool care home

The Willows Care Home, Midgeland Road, Marton Moss, hosted the special afternoon on Tuesday showing the nocturnal animals up close and awake!

Karen Mankowska from Blackpool-based Little Dovetails and Owls, hand rears the birds a gave a comprehensive talk about her job and and then to the delight of residents, staff and their children, passed the owls around for them to hold.

Karen brought a barn owl, snowy owl and an African owl to the care home.

Julie Critchmoor, activities and well being co-ordinator at the care home, said “We already encourage inter-generational activities with children from our local pre-school, but I also wanted our residents to take part in an interactive Owl experience, knowing that they had never been so close to Owls, or had been able to touch them”.

The event went down well with the care home residents.

Gladys Downing, 85, inset, has has lived at The Willows for 15 months said it was a special moment for her.

She said: “I’ve never held an owl before, it was amazing, he was so light and gentle”.

Joan Hodges, 94, has been a resident for 14 months.

She said: “I’ve had a wonderful afternoon with birds I’ve only seen in pictures. At my time of life, it has to be the best experience I’ve ever had”.

The 20 residents shouldn’t who got to hold the owls, won’t have to wait long to see them again as Julie said she will ‘definitely’ be booking in Karen and the birds over the Christmas season.