The Most Wonderful Surprise!!! (1 Viewer)

Hi everyone! I’ve got something I just must share with you all!! I’ve not been online recently as it is the school hols and I’ve been out with my daughter most days. We’ve had some great times, birdy and otherwise, which I may get round to mentioning sometime. But what I couldn’t wait to tell you is news of a new resident in ‘our’ field!

I’ve been filling the bird feeders in the evening this week and kept hearing an odd noise, that wasn’t the usual Tawnies, in fact I wasn’t even sure it was a bird at first.

I spent ages with my head stuck out the window trying to make it out and then listening to bird calls on my discs and the internet and concluded that it may be a Little Owl! I walked down the field at 10pm and easily located the tree it was in, one of the very tall old Horse Chestnuts. I quietly stood listening for a while and is was clear that there was not one, but two!! They were doing a cat like ‘ps ew’ call.

Knowing they can sometimes be seen during the day, I looked the following afternoon and couldn’t believe my eyes when there they were in full view by a hole about 50 feet up the tree. I took some photos with my daughter’s new camera, with them not in the slightest bit bothered by the many people walking way down below. Got to be the cutest sight ever, two gorgeous bundles of feathers sunbathing!! o

To say this has made my week is an understatment!! I’ve been trying to see or at least hear owls at a park seven miles away for the past year without success, then two take up residence just a minutes walk away! I can see their home from my window but of course they’re too small to make out and the tree will soon be too green to see them anyway. I hope to take some more photos before then, if I can.

They are very vocal, calling constantly from 8pm through to midnight and last night one flew past the window making that ‘green woodpecker kind of call’, at 1am. This link is very good if you want a listen, it is the middle sound that they usually do. http://www.barnowl.co.uk/interact/owlsounds/index.asp

Sorry to ramble! I’m so delighted I just had to share them with you!! (o)<
Hope you all had a lovely Easter and are enjoying spring. I’ll go and catch up on reading the posts I’ve missed now!

Fantastic. im not jelous,no no not at all. Arent thay smart.

Welcome back Kezza, what nice surprise!!

To me they both look like juveniles. From memory those pictures you once posted of your 'field' would look ideal habitat for them.Look forward to seeing some more pics!

Matt

Good to see you Kezza and lovely pics.

How lucky are you Kezza :clap: Please keep us updated on your 2 Little owls

Hope you had a good Easter, sounds as though it has been a busy one :-O

Hi Kezza.
Absolutely wonderful. What a great pick up, and so near home. Nice pics too under difficult conditions, well done.

All the best.
A very green Baz. LOL!!

Sooooo cute! And yes, I am jealous!! Look forward to further pics and details Kezza.

Fantastic Kezza...lucky lucky you.



Best wishes

Hi Kezza

Lucky you, something new to your patch is always great isn't it.

I agree with Matt that they look like juveniles but I don't see how they can be unless they bred completely out of season. Working back from when the nestlings fly would make then starting laying early February, which is way too early.

Please see if you can get some clearer shots before the leaves block you out.
Meanwhile enjoy them, they are quite characters; and noisy with it it's the 'Yik' call that goes through your skull (chuckle).

Bill.

Thats wonderful Kezza, lucky you having a pair of Little Owls almost at the bottom of your garden. You'll certainly get a lot of pleasure watching them.

If the Horse Chestnut tree is their regular place to perch/roost you might find some small pellets under where they sit. It would be fun dissecting them to see what they've eaten.

bill moss said:

Hi Kezza

I agree with Matt that they look like juveniles but I don't see how they can be unless they bred completely out of season. Working back from when the nestlings fly would make then starting laying early February, which is way too early.

Bill.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, is it possible they could be tawny owl chicks??

Looking at the photos again they do seem quite large and chunky, but on the other hand I have every confidence in Kezza's identification by their calls etc.

Whatever they are they're both a treasure!!

Matt

Hi Kezza,
Ohhhh you lucky thing, I've never seen an Owl of any sort in the wild, and you've got two!! How wonderful for you, and to 'capture' them in such good photos too, well done Kezza, and welcome back.
All the Best,

Thanks for your comments everyone, I couldn't wait to tell you!

Interesting that you say they look like juvenilles and/or tawnies Matt and Bill. The pics were were a bit better before I had to reduce the size to post them.

I base my ID almost entirely on what I've heard as I admit they do look rather like tawny to me too, but I'm sure the calls are right for little owls. So unless there's a tawny family and two little owls somewhere there!?! Seems unlikely, we haven't heard much from the tawnies lately.

I shall have to try very hard for more pictures. These were taken through the binoculars, both hand held so there was of course a lot of movement!! They weren't out this afternoon and when we walked past this evening, on our way back from the peregrines, they were calling away, but it was too dark to see them.

I'll add any photos if I manage any.



Edit 14 Apr: Matt's suggestion that they're tawnies was one that I had to pursue, so I asked for more opinions and it seems they are!! Bother bother bother :'D I'm delighted to have tawny owls nesting there and over the moon to have seen them, but have to admit to being a teeny disappointed that they aren't Litttle owls after all!! Guess I should have asked you all first!

I am now very puzzled though. As I said earlier my id was based on their calls which were nothing like tawnies. When we saw them I was surprised by their size but as I've never seen a Little Owl before, had nothing to compare to. I guess the call I hear literally constantly from 8pm onwards is them begging for food then? I can't find a website with a young owls calls to listen to. And what was that call at 1am I heard!!? Very puzzling. Anyway I accept they are young Tawnies 'fresh out the hole', so to speak and not yet flying so hopefully some opportunities for photos. Will have to keep trying for my first Little Owl

Thanks for your replies and help. If I get any better pics I'll be sure to show you!

Hi Kezza,
Wow! How fantastic.
What a fantastic treat for you and your daughter to see. I can see why you were so excited about sharing the news.
I'm bursting with envy, well done Kezza.