The breeding season is hotting up at Kirkleatham Owl Centre

The cold weather that has plagued the centre for much of spring definitely slowed things down on the breeding front, but now it is full steam ahead for many of the centre's birds.

For the owls, most of them are now well into their season, with the burrowing owls, Ural owls and Siberian eagle owls all incubating eggs.

The long-eared owls are even further ahead though and they have already reared two youngsters, who fledged a few weeks ago, and now the female has laid a second clutch of eggs, which she is busy incubating.

For many of our more tropical birds, such as kookaburras and rollers, they are only now starting to think about breeding, with pairs inspecting nest boxes to find a suitable home to bring up a family.

A well concealed chicken nest in the woods.

Meanwhile, for the free-ranging birds – the peacocks, guinea fowl and chickens – egg laying has started, and for each type of bird that means a change in behaviour.

The guinea fowl, who moved as a flock all winter, have split up into smaller groups and pairs as they spread out in search of a nest site – usually concealed in a patch of bramble.

The peafowl females too are busy laying and they often nest some distance from the centre and become very secretive as they head off to.

Finally the chickens, they stay closer to home often hiding their eggs in a hedgerow.

It is a rather lovely moment when these birds reappear after a few weeks of incubating with a group of little chicks in tow, and it is a sight that delights visitors.