Baby owls have a hoot learning to fly for the first time at 'chick nursery'

The three chicks worked hard perfecting their swooping skills after a kind farmer set up an ‘owl nursery’ in one of his fields.

Despite being just a few feet off the ground, the little owl chicks bravely threw themselves into the air without risking injury.

Photographer Andrew Fusek Peters captured the adorable scenes at a farm near Shrewsbury on Wednesday.

He said: “There were three baby chicks which had fledged and were literally learning to fly on their own.

“The farmer put a dead oak tree in the field which was 4ft off the ground so it was safe for the owls to practise perching and flying.

“I was able to set up a hide in a pop-up tent about 20ft away so was able to get really close to them.

“The owls didn’t notice me at all and I was able to capture some remarkable shots.

“One of the owls can be seen perching and then launching into the air. I was able to capture the entire flight sequence which is very rare.”

Little owls are native to warmer areas of Europe and North Africa but have been breeding in Britain since the 19th century.

Their name comes from the fact they grow to around 22cm (8.7in) tall and weigh just 180g (6.3oz).

Despite their diminutive size, the owls boast a 56cm (22in) wingspan allowing them to silently glide for long periods while hunting for prey.