Sound clip ID please, Scotland (1 Viewer)

[Shirl]

Hi everyone,

Just as it gets dark I've heard what I'm guessing is a bird call in my garden. I wonder if anyone can ID it for me please? I've listened to the RSPB audio files on the most likely suspects but I haven't a clue! I bet its an easy one too |:$|

I put my video camera out as it was at hand and have recorded the sound on that. Without flash I am unable to create an audio file so have just posted a trimmed down video on my blog to let everyone hear it. Listen at http://blog.shirlsgardenwatch.co.uk/2009/11/sounds-of-night.html

Thanks, Shirl :t:

 

[Andy1979]

Sounds like a Tawny Owl to me.

 

[bitterntwisted]

Tawny Owl

Graham

 

[Shirl]

Thanks Andy and Graham... are you sure?

I am thrilled if it is! I live in a small town with houses all around me. I have always liked the idea of one passing through my garden. I have a night camera so I'll need to set it up somewhere now. The sound moves about (as the owl will do) so its hard to see where it will be. Would it wander along my long (trimmed) Leylandii hedge?

I had wondered about a bird of prey and my money had been on owls but it didn't sound like the ones I heard. Is this call trying to say anything at all?

Thanks, I'm quite thrilled now to finally know what this is!!
Shirl :t:

 

[IanF]

Tawny Owl for me as well. We have one visiting our town garden every few weeks as well.

 

[Shirl]

Thanks Ian,

Just browsing about it now. No 'twit-twoo' here but I see you need a pair for that. I see on the Autumnwatch pages that 'In the autumn, tawny owls are particularly vocal. Juveniles are starting to find their win territories in which to mate and hunt for food in winter.' I guess this one could be young and doing exactly that.

Funnily enough I was aware that we were only hearing this every now and again. Two weeks may just be the same time span here too although it does last a number of nights when it is heard.

Thanks, Shirl :t:

 

[Wimpy]

Think that is a female Tawny Owl, the male if present would reply

Classic two whit (female) two wooh (Male)

 

[Sy V]

I can't see a link to the sound file and I've opened the page in Firefox and IE...

 

[Shirl]

I can't see a link to the sound file and I've opened the page in Firefox and IE...

Hi there, the sound is not an audio file. I captured it by video
, uploaded it to YouTube and posted it on my blog. As I had no video as such I trimmed the code of my video so it was a long narrow strip instead of being a big black square. I hope that helps

Sorry it caused you probs. I appreciate you willing to help me with this.

Thanks, shirl

 

[delia todd]

Hi Shirl

I occasionally hear Tawny's but do you think I can see them...?

There's a sound file linked to the Opus article, if you want to try that for a comparison as well.

D

 

[IanF]

Thanks Ian,

Just browsing about it now. No 'twit-twoo' here but I see you need a pair for that. I see on the Autumnwatch pages that 'In the autumn, tawny owls are particularly vocal. Juveniles are starting to find their win territories in which to mate and hunt for food in winter.' I guess this one could be young and doing exactly that.

Funnily enough I was aware that we were only hearing this every now and again. Two weeks may just be the same time span here too although it does last a number of nights when it is heard.

Thanks, Shirl :t:

It's the repeated 'kewick' call you're getting which I believe is much more common than the contact calls of 'Twit-hooo' between male and female. Kewick is an alarm call but could be just due to a cat or car or someone walking by etc.

Same with us it's every couple of weeks and for several nights in a row.

 

[parttimer]

Thanks Andy and Graham... are you sure?

I am thrilled if it is! I live in a small town with houses all around me. I have always liked the idea of one passing through my garden. I have a night camera so I'll need to set it up somewhere now. The sound moves about (as the owl will do) so its hard to see where it will be. Would it wander along my long (trimmed) Leylandii hedge?

I had wondered about a bird of prey and my money had been on owls but it didn't sound like the ones I heard. Is this call trying to say anything at all?

Thanks, I'm quite thrilled now to finally know what this is!!
Shirl :t:

Its a strange thing but I was born and grew up in the countryside in very rural Devon but I am sure I have heard more Tawney Owls since I have lived in the middle of town.

 

[SteveClifton]

Have a listen here:

http://www.xeno-canto.org/europe/browse.php?query=tawny+owl

The 5th and 9th recordings are a pretty good likeness to your bird, Definitely a Tawny Owl.
Just click on the arrow on the left of each entry to listen. All recordings on this site are free and downloadable.

Steve

 

[bitterntwisted]

As others have already expanded, this is very definitely a female Tawny Owl. There's a series of very good pages on Tawny Owl calls here, including some discussion of whether males ever make the 'kewick' call of the female, and lots of sound recordings... http://www.godsownclay.com/TawnyOwls/Calls/tawnyowlcalls1.html

It's quite possible the owl is roosting in your leylandii. The leylandii hedge at the back of my gardens is a favourite roost site here, where the magpies seem to find them less often.

You actually have a pretty good chance of seeing the owl if you hang around just after sunset and watch the direction of the call. (The downside to the leylandii roost is it make them hard to find in the day) On leaving the roost the owls will usually glide across an open area to a nearby perch and have a good look around and call before setting off hunting. (Tawnies take off with this downward swoop using gravity before doing any powered flight) So stand where you can see the likely roost site and an open area across which they'll take their first glide.

Good luck, and if the calling continues, or you hear a male about, think about putting up a nest box, on which there is lots of good advice on the same site.

Graham

 

[Shirl]

Hi Shirl

I occasionally hear Tawny's but do you think I can see them...?

There's a sound file linked to the Opus article, if you want to try that for a comparison as well.

D

Hi again Delia, its been a while

Thanks, you've got me wondering if I'll ever see this one now too. Its difficult standing outside trying to locate where it is calling from. I've always thought it moved around but I've often felt it was closer to the ground too.

Thanks for the sound clip link. Yep... the first part definitely sounded like mine :t:

Best wishes, Shirl |:d|

 

[Shirl]

It's the repeated 'kewick' call you're getting which I believe is much more common than the contact calls of 'Twit-hooo' between male and female. Kewick is an alarm call but could be just due to a cat or car or someone walking by etc.

Same with us it's every couple of weeks and for several nights in a row.

Hi Ian, thanks for getting back to me again :t:

The gardens that back on to mine have a main road in front of the houses with very large mature trees on the other side of the road. Some of the calls may come from there and it is possible people will walk along there walking dogs as the road goes out to the countryside.

However some calls are much closer to my house... the challenge now will be to work out exactly where they are coming from! Didn't hear it earlier tonight so it will have me guessing a little longer |=\|

Have a good weekend, Shirl

 

[Shirl]

Its a strange thing but I was born and grew up in the countryside in very rural Devon but I am sure I have heard more Tawney Owls since I have lived in the middle of town.

Hi there parttimer,

Yep... sounds like I've the best of both here! I'm in a pretty full housing scheme but have the countryside just a few streets away.

Very interesting to hear you've heard more sightings since you've been in town.

Thanks for your reply, Shirl |:d|

 

[Shirl]

Have a listen here:

http://www.xeno-canto.org/europe/browse.php?query=tawny+owl

The 5th and 9th recordings are a pretty good likeness to your bird, Definitely a Tawny Owl.
Just click on the arrow on the left of each entry to listen. All recordings on this site are free and downloadable.

Steve

Thanks Steve :t:

An excellent page to hear the Tawny owl calls. Yep we've a Tawny pasing by for time to time alright!

Have a good weekend, Shirl :t:

 

[Shirl]

As others have already expanded, this is very definitely a female Tawny Owl. There's a series of very good pages on Tawny Owl calls here, including some discussion of whether males ever make the 'kewick' call of the female, and lots of sound recordings... http://www.godsownclay.com/TawnyOwls/Calls/tawnyowlcalls1.html

It's quite possible the owl is roosting in your leylandii. The leylandii hedge at the back of my gardens is a favourite roost site here, where the magpies seem to find them less often.

You actually have a pretty good chance of seeing the owl if you hang around just after sunset and watch the direction of the call. (The downside to the leylandii roost is it make them hard to find in the day) On leaving the roost the owls will usually glide across an open area to a nearby perch and have a good look around and call before setting off hunting. (Tawnies take off with this downward swoop using gravity before doing any powered flight) So stand where you can see the likely roost site and an open area across which they'll take their first glide.

Good luck, and if the calling continues, or you hear a male about, think about putting up a nest box, on which there is lots of good advice on the same site.

Graham

Thanks for getting back to me again, Graham :t:

I am delighted I've had such a response with extra info. Thanks for the link to calls too. Its fascinating to hear its a female also

Wow... I never even considered that this owl could be roosting in my garden. My Leylandii strips are pretty long with it running along two perimeters of my garden. I've often wondered if Blackbirds and other birds roosted there.... I guess not now.

Yep... now that I know what I'm hearing I can take a bigger guess at where it may be calling from. It has been at dusk that I first heard the sound ... and not just this year. I am thinking now I've heard this in previuos years and at this time of the year too.

Thanks for the tips on Tawny's flight. We really have only one clear flight path ( I've many tall plants, and pergola structures) so that will be where I'll look. I've watched bats sweeping along this strip many times. Mm... could the Tawny be feasting on the bats... could it catch them? That's another thought.

Thanks, now a nestbox I only thought about the other week funnily enough. I have smaller ones and a camera in one of them that blue tits have used. I don't have any large enough trees in my garden and don't know if I could get a nestbox high enough on my house. However, if I put one up and it was used (brilliant) I may not be very popular with my neighbours who have cats and dogs between them.

I very much appreciate your replies. wishing you a great weekend,
Shirl :t:

 

[Shirl]

Think that is a female Tawny Owl, the male if present would reply

Classic two whit (female) two wooh (Male)

Sorry Wimpy, didn't realise I missed your reply |:$|

It's fascinating to hear between them the male and female make the sound we all associate with owls. I had one comment on my blog saying that their sounds are slightly different at different times of the year too.

Wishing you a good weekend,
Shirl :t: