most powerful owl (1 Viewer)

[StevieEvans]

VERY interesting.

That 5 owl Farm that was on TV not too long ago, gave an insight into a 6th English breeding species in Northern England....

I had heard that there were 2 pairs, but if theres more, then THAT IS a Population.

It would be interesting to discover if any work is being done to study their impact on the local area....

Stevie.

 

[IanF]

DEFRA sent a team to study / photograph them at one site recently. It was looked into what their diet was, but from what I understand the study was only for one week. Apparently they are considering whether to destroy the birds or not. If not then hopefully the film they made will be broadcast on the BBC at some point.

 

[Ranger James]

I can vouch for the strength of EEO talons. When helping train a young female at a bird of prey centre she stepped off the glove and put the rear claw though the skin of my forearm. Ouch.
James

 

[bubobubo]

"Take a look at the prey items of European Eagle Owl in BWP.
They are the daddy".
pardon my ignorance but what is BWP as i am interested in this subject.
thanks
bubobubo

 

[Edward]

pardon my ignorance but what is BWP as i am interested in this subject.
thanks
bubobubo

BWP = Birds of the Western Palearctic by Cramp and Simmons, the 9 volume bible on birds in our area. I can also recommend the Concise BWP by Snow and Perrins which does it all in two volumes and can be picked up for a real bargain price at the moment apparently.
Also have a look at Heimo Mikkola's Owls of Europe if you're very interested in owls.

E

 

[stuart scott]

An interesting thread...I too had no idea European Eagle Owls were nesting over here. Are they wild bred or escaped birds ?
Because they eat all the other owls in the UK ( and much more as the postings here have made clear ) I thought they weren't too popular with general birders, since they can upset the balance.
I'd love to see one in the wild though.

I think its Hannu Hautala (wildlife photographer) that has a photo of one of these owls sitting on a mute swan, it looks like it just caught.
<correction: apologies to Seppo Ronkainen. It was his photo as you can see here :http://www.fmp.fi/luonto/83.htm and it wasn't a mute swan !>

stu

 

[Paul G]

Hi Stu,

Yes European Eagle Owls are at the very top of the food chain (no natural predators except for man) and yes they do and will eat other owls much the same as any other large raptor.I have read a lot about them breeding in the UK....but I am unconvinced that these reports hold any truth ! Where is the evidence have we seen any photographs of wild European Eagle Owl chicks ? There are a lot of ex captive birds flying around the UK and because of their size they are soon noticed AND photographed. Please if anyone has photographic evidence of European Eagle Owls breeding in thw wild IN the UK please post...

 

[bubobubo]

Hello, an european eagle owl's diet is vary varied and consists of mammals, (from small rodents to hares), hedgehogs, they can also take herons, buzzards, reptiles, frogs and sometimes fish, carrion if other sources are scarce.
so there you have it, enough to make out a menu hehehehe

 

[StevieEvans]

Oh ye of little faith...

Paul G

I wouldnt have thought it was appropriate to post photographs of a 'rare' / establishing breeding species ?

A photograph posted on 'here' wouldnt mean anything anyway as digital cameras can 'tell lies' ! :eek!:

Admittedly, i was slightly sceptical untill a few weeks ago.........then we managed to locate one of the breeding sites.

Oh ye of little faith...........

Ps. Stuarts
Little & Tawny owl were both in the imediate area, with Short-eared within half a mile.........
SE.

 

[Paul G]

Hello Stevie,

I am very familiar with the area you live in. I am a little curious as to why the press havent reported the breeding pair. (Presumably the RSPB are aware) ?

 

[Steve G]

Hi Paul,
This species has bred in Scotland (N.E. Highlands) as well as England & is listed on the Rare Breeding Birds Panel species list: www.rbbp.org.uk/specieslist.html
Cheers,
Steve

 

[Edward]

Hi Paul,
This species has bred in Scotland (N.E. Highlands) as well as England & is listed on the Rare Breeding Birds Panel species list: www.rbbp.org.uk/specieslist.html
Cheers,
Steve

Eh what? Has Gyr Falcon bred in the UK as well or am I misinterpreting the purpose of this list?
Is nothing sacred anymore? ;-)

E

 

[Steve G]

I wondered about that Edward as Gyr Falcon is also on the UK schedule 1 list. I'm sure there are sound reasons for this -possibly a bird seen consistently in suitable habitat in the Highlands at the right time of year. Lesser mortals such as you & I will never be privvy to the reasoning behind this however.
Certainly if Gyr had even a toehold in Scotland this info would have to be heavily suppressed as their fondness for grouse would not endear them to Grousemoor Gamies.
I suspect, however that the large white "raptors" seen on the Cairngorm plateau are only Snowy Owls!

 

[bubobubo]

noted, thank you. As for mikkola's book, i have a copy on it 's way. my dear mother is bringing it over for me in a couple of weeks along with my stock of cads yum yum. (even though i live in what people say is the heaven of chocolate, i have to disagree, heaven is cadbury's after owls of course hehehe)

 

[Edward]

I wondered about that Edward as Gyr Falcon is also on the UK schedule 1 list. I'm sure there are sound reasons for this -possibly a bird seen consistently in suitable habitat in the Highlands at the right time of year. Lesser mortals such as you & I will never be privvy to the reasoning behind this however.
Certainly if Gyr had even a toehold in Scotland this info would have to be heavily suppressed as their fondness for grouse would not endear them to Grousemoor Gamies.
I suspect, however that the large white "raptors" seen on the Cairngorm plateau are only Snowy Owls!

And there could be escapees too, as is the case with Eagle Owls. Funny you should mention Snowies though Steve, as two of us spent a long time at the weekend looking for Snowy Owls in similar habitat to where we found three two weeks ago, similar habitat to Cairngorm plateau I imagine but the only large "white raptors" we found this time were in fact Gyr Falcons. I wonder if Gyr Falcons and Snowy Owls are mutually exclusive on their breeding grounds? The other site had three Snowy Owls but no Gyrs.

E

 

[StevieEvans]

Paul
There are several pairs in the area.
There was a report of young in Northumberland too, this year.
Imho, i can think of far more negatives than i can positives for the press putting the word out....

Steve
Remember hearing something years ago about a pair of Gyr's on the Hebrides....certainly remember the one which ranged over the Durham Moors one winter, but thats a bit of a sore point for very many !

Ed
Snowies & Gyr's !
Very impressive indeed.
Mikkola's records show one example each of the 2 species being both prey & predator to each other.
So perhaps your findings & theory are right, they are maybe an equal match for one-another & keep apart ?
Guess you'll just have to do a few more 10k hikes just to be sure.

Regards & Good Owling
SE.

 

[Edward]

Ed
Snowies & Gyrs !
Very impressive indeed.
Mikkola's records show one example each of the 2 species being both prey & predator to each other.
So perhaps your findings & theory are right, they are maybe an equal match for one-another & keep apart ?
Guess you'll just have to do a few more 10k hikes just to be sure.

Regards & Good Owling
SE.

Hey we walked 10 miles not 10 km! Don't belittle our Herculean effort!

Re the mutual exclusivity of Gyrs and Snowy Owls then I suppose that it might not be the case on the main breeding grounds for Snowy Owls (Russia, Canada etc) as they are Lemming and rodent specialists whilst Gyrs are bird eaters and so might not compete directly. As there are no Lemmings here and virtually no rodents higher up then Snowy Owls prey on birds and hence there might be a conflict. The area in which we saw the adult Gyr on Sunday also contained a Ptarmigan with no fewer than 12 fledged young! By the way, Stevie, the bird we saw the Snowy Owl catch and swallow the other week was a Ptarmigan chick, not a Purple Sandpiper as we first thought (we took a better look at the feathers it had plucked and discarded).

What's the story behind the Durham Gyr? Suppressed?

E