WATCH: Hidden camera footage of barn owl falling asleep in Yorkshire goes viral around world
Adorable footage of a barn owl chick digging a small hole into the floor of its nest and falling asleep inside has gone viral globally.
Within a day of its release on social media, more than 100,000 people had watched the video clip filmed on a hidden camera in Yorkshire.
The footage was filmed by Yorkshire wildlife artist and filmmaker Robert E Fuller using surveillance cameras hidden inside a barn owl nest close to the artist’s home in Thixendale, North Yorkshire.
Mr Fuller, who uses cameras hidden inside bird nests to create content about the individual lives of animals, has more than one million YouTube subscribers and 1.6 million Facebook followers.
The latest clip features the only surviving chick of a female barn owl, named Celeste by viewers.
Mr Fuller explained: “My nest cameras mean we get to see adorable moments like this and to learn about the behaviour of wildlife.
“For example, not many people will know that young owlets sleep lying down until they see it happening on the cameras.”
Originally one of four chicks, viewers became particularly invested in the life of the six-week-old barn owl after its father, named Orion, disappeared from the nest two weeks ago.
“I’m yet to find out what happened to Orion but these things unfortunately happen sometimes in nature,” said Mr Fuller, whose attempts to revive one of the chicks sadly failed.
“Orion was also a first-time owl dad, and followers had been hoping for years that he would settle down and start a family. Now of course people feel extra invested in the life of his only owlet.”
On Facebook Nicole Stafford was one of more than 200 people to comment on how much they enjoyed watching the owlet fall to sleep. “Aw, he's exhausted after all that diggin [sic]”, she said.
Rachel Smith on Twitter compared the owl to “An energetic baby and then a sleep baby. Watching the little ones fall asleep is so "awwwwww" producing.”
And @whatyosaid on Twitter said the owl was “Like a dog trying to find a cooler layer to nap on”
Mr Fuller livestreams his nest cameras on YouTube, giving viewers a chance to watch events as they unfold.
The barn owl nest featuring Celeste and her owlet can be viewed here: https://www.robertefuller.com/pages/live-from-ash-wood