IanF
Moderator
The title isn't quite right as the location for my evening visit is a few miles from the town itself amidst the remote moors. I won't be more specific for obvious reasons as you will read.
Come half past six I collected a long standing friend and very knowledgeable local birder, Derek Kyle from his home. He has been asking me about some rather special owls for quite a while. He had been struggling with Owls this year not having seen the usual Tawny and Barn Owls around the town and not even a hint of Short-eared despite numerous evening excursions. Heard but none seen. Anyway I decided to help him kick start his luck with some Eurasian Eagle Owls that have been successfully breeding for the last seven years.
We headed over to the site picking up very little on the way other than the blessed Meadow Pipits and one Northern Wheatear. We ensconced ourselves behind the car out of the chilling winds. Despite a fine sunny evening with views for around 40 miles - at that altitude it was pretty cool.
Anyway an hours wait and then sure enough there they were. At first it looked to be an adult on it's own, but as it began to move about and flaps it's wings, I think it was a mature juvenile. Pretty soon we spotted a smaller one. The pair were feeding pretty consistently on rabbits, tearing heads off and then the legs - an amazing site. As dusk approached we could hear them calling and the parents replying with extended low hoots. It certainly made my day after dipping on the last year.
The local farmer who watches over the Owls, true to form came to see what we were up to as he is very protective of them and very conservation minded. I have met him a couple of times before and when he realised who we were he became quite chatty telling us about another pair nesting a few miles away and some Peregrines nesting quite close too. Apparently the BBC had a film crew there last week filming the owls - David Attenborough as well! - on behalf of DEFRA. Apparently DEFRA are considering culling them all as it's been suggested they are damaging the native wildlife. Anyway their researchers were shown the remains of what the Owls eat - mainly rabbits. Last year they got through 220 rabbits, 90+ Jackdaws (which over run the nearby cliffs) and 2 Red Grouse - not exactly a threat to the environment. Over the last seven years they have successfully bred 17 chicks with four more this year. Depending on what DEFRA decide is to the fate of the owls, the film maybe televised. That week they had Peregrine, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel in the same location - obviously a wealth to film and showing the natural richness of the area.
We headed back to Barney at around half past nine as it was drawing in dark. We picked up Short-eared Owl and Black Grouse on the way.
A long day but the most memorable this year :t:
Come half past six I collected a long standing friend and very knowledgeable local birder, Derek Kyle from his home. He has been asking me about some rather special owls for quite a while. He had been struggling with Owls this year not having seen the usual Tawny and Barn Owls around the town and not even a hint of Short-eared despite numerous evening excursions. Heard but none seen. Anyway I decided to help him kick start his luck with some Eurasian Eagle Owls that have been successfully breeding for the last seven years.
We headed over to the site picking up very little on the way other than the blessed Meadow Pipits and one Northern Wheatear. We ensconced ourselves behind the car out of the chilling winds. Despite a fine sunny evening with views for around 40 miles - at that altitude it was pretty cool.
Anyway an hours wait and then sure enough there they were. At first it looked to be an adult on it's own, but as it began to move about and flaps it's wings, I think it was a mature juvenile. Pretty soon we spotted a smaller one. The pair were feeding pretty consistently on rabbits, tearing heads off and then the legs - an amazing site. As dusk approached we could hear them calling and the parents replying with extended low hoots. It certainly made my day after dipping on the last year.
The local farmer who watches over the Owls, true to form came to see what we were up to as he is very protective of them and very conservation minded. I have met him a couple of times before and when he realised who we were he became quite chatty telling us about another pair nesting a few miles away and some Peregrines nesting quite close too. Apparently the BBC had a film crew there last week filming the owls - David Attenborough as well! - on behalf of DEFRA. Apparently DEFRA are considering culling them all as it's been suggested they are damaging the native wildlife. Anyway their researchers were shown the remains of what the Owls eat - mainly rabbits. Last year they got through 220 rabbits, 90+ Jackdaws (which over run the nearby cliffs) and 2 Red Grouse - not exactly a threat to the environment. Over the last seven years they have successfully bred 17 chicks with four more this year. Depending on what DEFRA decide is to the fate of the owls, the film maybe televised. That week they had Peregrine, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel in the same location - obviously a wealth to film and showing the natural richness of the area.
We headed back to Barney at around half past nine as it was drawing in dark. We picked up Short-eared Owl and Black Grouse on the way.
A long day but the most memorable this year :t:
