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Owls-where are they all?


Mrs Trackman

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also, in late summer, the big oak on my old mooring on the Puddlebanks was full of Tawny fledgelings screeching and hooting in protest as their Mums started to deny them easy food.

 

Initially a welcome sound and sight (with aquick flash of the spotlight) after a few sleepless nights it did get a bit wearing (though I wouldn't have swapped their presence for a silent night).

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I was going to reply "Hillsborough" but that might appear flippant.

When we moored at Springwood Haven on the Coventry we quite often heard (tawny?) owls. I remember one night, watching enthralled as two of them sat on neighbouring telegraph poles, having some kind of hooting competition. The area around the marina is quite heavily wooded, so I guess that's where the owls live.

Edited by Athy
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Barn Owl regularly hunts along the hedges of the Hook by the Trent in Nottingham / Lady Bay. I see them/ he/ she in daylight in the winter, but I think you'll need to be up pretty early at the moment

That's exactly where we always used to see them nearly every time we cycled by. Even when very dark the barn owl would hunt near the main road, presumably using the street lights to see. However, the last few times we have moored at Holme Lock we haven't seen one. We have cycled along and stopped to look for the last 3 nights at slightly different times, but no joy.

Thanks to everyone for their helpful replies. I love listening to owls at night and we often moor in a spot where I hope to be lucky but they are either rarer or we are in the wrong place, maybe losing too much hearing ability too!

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I was going to reply "Hillsborough" but that might appear flippant.

When we moored at Springwood Haven on the Coventry we quite often heard (tawny?) owls. I remember one night, watching enthralled as two of them sat on neighbouring telegraph poles, having some kind of hooting competition. The area around the marina is quite heavily wooded, so I guess that's where the owls live.

Actually we live just up the hill from Hillsborough in Foxhill and we regularly hear owls amongst the other wildlife. The edge of the city is surprisingly full of wildlife.

 

Currently we are being entertained by a family of foxes. Noisy bleeders!

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The most common species in England is the 'Teat Owl' (Think about it!)

I am familiar with the Teat Owl also the "Torn Yowl". However I was wondering if the OP had any particular species they wanted to see as hints (as opposed to sites) would vary depending on species.

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Which particular species?

Happy to see any owl at all. I remember watching little owls, which are around in the daylight, for ages on the Leeds and Liverpool near Rodley, but that was years ago.

I suppose for listening, it's the Hoo Hoo sound which I find so haunting, though I recall jumping when one hooted, as it seemed, in our ears when walking along the towpath on the Tring summit, but again, that was a while ago now.

I also have just remembered seeing an owl as we went by 'Tawny Owl' at the top of the Hatton flight, I initially ignored Mr Trackman's, 'owl alert' thinking he was making a joke.

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Happy to see any owl at all. I remember watching little owls, which are around in the daylight, for ages on the Leeds and Liverpool near Rodley, but that was years ago.

I suppose for listening, it's the Hoo Hoo sound which I find so haunting, though I recall jumping when one hooted, as it seemed, in our ears when walking along the towpath on the Tring summit, but again, that was a while ago now.

I also have just remembered seeing an owl as we went by 'Tawny Owl' at the top of the Hatton flight, I initially ignored Mr Trackman's, 'owl alert' thinking he was making a joke.

There are 10 times (at least) as many pairs of Tawnys as there are Barn owls. Seeing Tawny Owl is a bit like spotting Kingfishers you have to get "your eye in". The best daylight views are often of an adult pressed up against the trunk of a tree dozing the day away. Preferred habitat id broadleaved woodland followed almost equally by Conifer wood and scrub. Find (search with binoculars) shady tree trunks often with ivy cover. They are remarkably well camouflaged. Last week my wife was trying to get a shot of some owlets at a friends nest box. Mum was only about 3 yards way but both of them missed her for a few minutes.

 

A word of warning Tawny Owls are dangerous near their nest. Eric Hosking the famous bird photographer lost an eye to a female defending a nest he was photographing.

 

Barn owls as has been mentioned are most likely to be seen hunting. The pressures of raising a brood at this time of year forces them out in stronger light. Sometimes even the middle of the day. The preferred hunting habitat is rough/undisturbed grass land that will have a good population of small mammals. Basically sweep with your binoculars such areas at dawn and dusk. Look for light coloured birds flying in a very "buoyant" way. As somebody said about the Kingfisher try to learn the "Jizz".

 

Little Owl found mainly in England south of (Roughly Lancaster) and decreasing in number. As you have watched them before you will have a good idea of what to look for when and how.

 

Long Eared Owl - very secretive basically I would discount it. Short eared owl - not really a bird of the sorts of habitat I know of near canals.

 

Hope this helps long term.

 

EDIT: I should have said about the Tawny Owl if you find a mixed collection of small birds causing a lot of fuss around a tree or bunch of Ivy look carefully there is often an owl hiding in there.

Edited by Jerra
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