Well, I have to be honest here.  This is probably not what you think.

Yesterday morning as I was feeding the cat, there was an enormous noise from the air vent and extractor fan in my cooker hood.

Sudden, scary and alarming.

Clearly something, bird or animal, was in there trying desperately to get out.

Not quite sure exactly what to do, I jumped around a bit.  Paced up and down.  Went outside and checked the external cover on the air vent.

The air vent cover was damaged leaving a huge gaping hole in the wall.

My visitor(s) had obviously decided this would be a nice cosy little place to settle, and now it or they (it sounded like there was a whole host) was stuck.

Back inside, the cat was going stir crazy.

It was early morning.  I had no help available.  So I rang the maintenance team – very conscious this was “out of hours”.

After a few times of being told this was very unusual and something not experienced before, they promised to get someone out to clear the air vent and replace the damaged cover.

The noise went on.  I thought whatever was in there really was going to break out into my kitchen.

Several hours later with anxiety levels increasing for both myself, the cat and the visitors, maintenance arrived.

The visitors were safely removed.  My neighbour watching the whole process, told me “Oh I saw them flying in and out earlier on”

This was less “Bats in the Belfry” and more “Owls in the Air Vent”.

The whole experience was one of fear and alarm; contact and support; helplessness and co-operation; relief and resolution.

And ultimately, since I have never seen owls up so close and personal before, reconnecting with a sense of beauty and wonder in the midst of everything else.

And that just about sums up life for us all right now I think.