Tawny Owl

This little owl is my very first owl mount and she has a very interesting story.
While I was at my part time job, unbeknownst to me, a childhood friend sent me a message on facebook saying that at her home where her mother and Nana live, an owl had been discovered and had since passed away and would I like it to see if I could do anything with it in regards to taxidermy. When I returned home got the message and replied “of course I would love it”. This was late Thursday night and I could not go pick it up that night. She replied and said it was fine to pick it up in the morning on Friday.
So I went over at 9am to collect it, and met her Nana at the door. She was saddened by the death of the owl but was very pleased that, after an initial examination, I could do something with it. I bought it back and gave it a thorough examination, finding no broken bones and identifying it as a Tawny Owl. I logged it as much as I could without skinning and then got to work. As I skinned I discovered just how perfect it was, nothing broken, no bruising, just a little mucus in the beak and nostrils, and a single maggot in its beak (which I unceremoniously squashed with a craft knife, and then cut it in half when it wouldn’t stop moving). I also made the huge discovery of a half developed egg inside her, making her most definitely a she. I broke into her skull to clean out the brains, and boy did she have a lot of them, much more than the pheasants I mounted the previous year.
I skinned her within two hours and got her wired up and then let the skin relax a few hours before final positioning for drying. She took a while to dry, but in that time I really got to know her personality as well as her spirit. I am so grateful that she has come into my life.
Her name is Sapere which is Latin for Wise. The word is most commonly known in the phrase “Sapere Aude” which means “dare to be wise”, an apt phrase to describe the owl.

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I hold a general UK licence for the sale of birds within the UK. I follow and am aware of all the relevant regulations regarding avian taxidermy.
This particular specimen is part of my private collection and so requires no licence to own. I am willing to provide a mounting service for birds within the UK for client provided specimens and I am also willing to purchase whole frozen specimens and skins from within the UK providing the seller can provide me with the relevant paperwork. I am also happy to take in any specimens, skins or whole frozen, free of charge from anyone who does not want their specimen for any reason, providing it can be proven that the specimen is legal.