In a flap: The astonishing moment THREE birds of prey were pictured in garden box

By PHIL VINTER

Masjestic: An adult barn keeps a look out from the top box of a pole in a garden in Ashurst, West Sussex. The bird shares the pole with stock doves and kestrels

Not surprisingly these unusual neighbours get a little flighty with each every so often.
Being three different species of birds they are very territorial, but incredibly they have set up home within a metre of each other.
A trio of boxes, fitted to a pole in Ashurst, West Sussex have been occupied by barn owls, kestrels, tawny owls and now Stock doves.

Lively neighbour: The young Kestrel gets in a bit of a flap outside its nest box which is situated behind the Barn Owls

Bottom floor: A pair of adult stock doves occupy the bottom box beneath the barn owls and the kestrels

At one point the boxes housed the three predatory birds - the barn owls, the kestrels and the tawny owls - but a pair of stock doves have now replaced the tawny owls which fledged from the basement nest of the pole.
The wonderful images were taken by part-time wildlife photographer Dennis Bright in his friend’s garden.
The kestrels were the first to take up residence on the pole, but they were soon followed - to the astonishment of interested locals - by a pair of tawny owls and later some barn owls.

High living: The top box houses a barn owl, with a kestrel setting up home behind and slightly below and in the basement are the pair of stock doves which replaced the tawny owls that once resided there

Mr Bright, 64, from Winchester, Hampshire, said: 'It’s just amazing to watch it all happening in front of you and it has been a great pleasure to photograph them.
'But you wouldn’t believe the shenanigans that occur. For instance a kestrel will sometimes stick his head into the barn owls’ box.
'And invariably, there are a flurry of wings as the inquisitive kestrel will get a face full of barn owl talons.
'I’ve seen the barn owls do the same thing too, only for them to get a taste of their own medicine.'

House proud: The young Kestrel pokes his head out from of its nest box. The wonderful images were taken by part-time wildlife photographer Dennis Bright in his friend’s garden

Focused: The adult barn owl surveys the neighbourhood. The pole, with attached bird nests, was one of a number that were installed in the 1990s thanks to funding support from the Environment Agency

Mr Bright added: 'Normally these birds would avoid each other like the plague, so I think it’s pretty much unprecedented to have them in one nesting box.
'They all hate each other and I’m worried what will happen if they all come back again next year.
'But it just points to the lack of natural nesting sites there is for birds at the moment, like trees and hollows.'
Mr Bright took the snaps in his friend Archie Simpson’s garden which is not far from the River Test - a favourite location for kestrels.
The pole, with attached bird nests, was one of a number that were installed in the 1990s thanks to funding support from the Environment Agency.

Curious: The pair of stock doves have now replaced the tawny owls which fledged from the basement nest of the pole

Predatory: The owl keeps an eye on the scenery from its high perch. The unusual proximity of the birds has been put down to a lack of natural nesting sites in the UK

source: dailymail