Yaffle’s human shares why he enjoys these baths. “As a burrowing owl, my feathers are my most prized possession. They provide insulation, help me fly almost silently, and are essential for my camouflage. That’s why I take great care to keep them in tip-top condition.” Additionally, “While I enjoy standing in my bird bath to cool off on a hot day, I much prefer a refreshing spray. I’ll spread my wings waiting eagerly for my human to mist me. I’m not sure which is the most divine; the feeling of water on my feathers, or that I’m putting my human to work.” That sounds a lot like having any other pet. When bath time is over, they tell us, he will carefully preen his wings to be sure he left no droplet of water behind.
If you go to the MSN page, there's a linked video at the bottom of a little girl with a White Faced Scops also!
I liked the stop motion style of Bagpuss. The whole premise was nice for a kids' show. Of course I watched The Owls of Athens.
I did enjoy Yaffle, though I agreed with Madeleine's assessment of the tale.
I haven't seen that one before (or possibly have -- my memory is fuzzy!). I'm not overly surprised though that you found the episode about owls though haha.
Bagpuss was quite a charming show, and I think still holds up passably today.
I found it a charming reminder of shows from my own childhood. I'm only a little younger than Bagpuss and it looks like something early Nickelodeon would have ran for content.
Wikipedia still shows it pops up in modern culture from time to time. I'm a stop motion fan, so I still think it's great.