What sort of Owl? - UK (2 Viewers)

[Vick2903]

As I was travelling along the road today I was looking out the window looking for birds like you do - hoping to see a Buzzard sitting at the side of the road. But what I saw was a huge Owl about the same height as a Buzzard but obviously wider - I am pretty certain it had ear tufts.

As my thingy says I am in Hertfordshire and this was along the 414 Hertford to Hatfield Road.

If anyone lives in this area can you enlighten me please as to the variety of this bird.

 

[gareth_blockley]

From your description i'd say Eagle owl, which would almost certainly be an escapee aroun herts. The only other owls with ear tufts would be SEO or LEO but they dont tend to sit out in the open like that. What time of day was it and what was the surrounded habitat like?

Gareth

 

[Paul Collins]

I would have to disagree with Eagle Owl for the reasons that there are literally only a handful of them in Great Britain, which live in much wilder countryside. None have been recorded in Hertfordshire or that area, and I have doubts about an escaped one (where would it have come from? I am not aware of any zoos/aviaries in the area)

Having said that, Short Eared Owl seems unlikely as well, being found only on the richest of marshlands with plenty of voles. It would not be found by a road or in a field.

Therefore, if it were indeed an owl, which you seem confident with, I would say long-eared - although I have doubts about this, because I don't think you can see them that easily in the open. Of course, more description would be needed, because all three have ear tufts.

 

[nigelblake]

I often travel on this road too as my daughter lives in Welwyn G C and my parents in Sawbridgeworth. Over the years I have seen both Long and Short eared Owls along the roadside here. Hatfield airfield regularly hosts a Shorty or two in winter, and there used to be a few Shorteared Owls around Panshanger airfield area too.

 

[Phil Bishop]

There is an Eagle Owl a few miles north of Bishop's Stortford-not sure of the precise location, but I know people who go and see it now and again. May be on the Essex side of the border though.
The Herts Bird report of 2002 mentions a pair bred at Hatfield Country Club. It was discussed in the hertsbirding Yahoo group in 2005. Dont think they have been reported since, but the club is pretty close to your sighting.

 

[Vick2903]

Thank you all

More discription would be hard. Obviously you know this road and the exact location was on the left as you travel from Hertford towards the welwyn roundabout.
Just before where the road used to cross the 414. Opposite the Panshanger turning
The trees there are a distance off the road and are quite dense however there was most definately an Owl sitting there and it was as big as a Buzzard if not bigger. We did go back and around the roundabouts but due to some dozy bint breaking down on the Hertford end roundabout we did not get back fast enough. Plus I have to say that if I was driving I would have probably been the dozy bint sat in the middle of the road looking at this bird!
In which case I might have got a better look.

 

[Vick2903]

There is an Eagle Owl a few miles north of Bishop's Stortford-not sure of the precise location, but I know people who go and see it now and again. May be on the Essex side of the border though.
The Herts Bird report of 2002 mentions a pair bred at Hatfield Country Club. It was discussed in the hertsbirding Yahoo group in 2005. Dont think they have been reported since, but the club is pretty close to your sighting.

Oooo this would be nice if it was!
Are Owls not territorial and if so the young would have to move somewhere!

 

[BobTag]

I must say I'm a rather suprised and dissappointed that this thread has got so focused on Eagle Owls.

Lesson No.1 in birding has always been "Rare birds are just that; rare - rule out the commoner species first". "Size illusion is difficult if not misleading, especially for single birds" is a lesson that comes pretty soon afterwards...

Eagles Owls are very, very rare in the UK, so surely the focus should be on ruling out Short- or Long-eared first. And Gareth both, in particular Short-eared, can sit out during the day, at least as frequently as Eagle Owls do... For example, I've seen both LEO & SEO sat out during broad daylight in neighbouring Bucks in the last two years (but not Eagle )

As Nigel said, this area does hold Owls, and Short-eared is semi-regular in this area in winter. However it is a good bird for Herts; there's a danger here of throwing out a good record by focusing on a rarity/escape.

However, having said all that, I'm afraid Vicky your Owl is unfortunately unidentifable from what you've seen. It could have been a SEO, a LEO, or I'll acknowledge even an escaped Eagle Owl from your the details you were able to see. Or maybe even a badly seen Buzzard - it happens.

One that got away I'm afraid, and I do know how is frustrating that is :C

 

[Vick2903]

No I will not go out of my way and say it is an Eagle owl as much as I would like it to have been that.
I can honestly say I do not know which it was hence my starting this thread.

I am going to drive very slowly past tomorrow several times probably - So be warned that there will be alot of traffic on that road tomorrow due to a woman birdwatching - which is not a good combination really is it!

Thanks all anyways x

 

[gareth_blockley]

Fair enough, but...

I obviously don't know the area so my answer was based on the following:
I didn't know SEO or LEO were in the area, but saying that did ask what the habitat was like and what time of day it was seen.
Although SEO and LEO will sit out in the open its not a common behaviour, especially in the day.
Assuming it wasn't a complete misID in the first place (no offence Vicky i'm sure you know the difference between an owl and a buzzard, but sometimes these things do happen) Vicky said it was probably bigger than a buzzard and probably had ear tufts. SEO and LEO are both smaller, in height, than a Buzzard and Eagle owl is noticeably bigger.
I didn't imply that if it was an Eagle owl it would be wild?! They are common birds to be kept by falconers and even just in peoples back gardens so it could be from anywhere.

All that said, i obviously don't know what the bird is or what i'm talking about and only tried to offer some help as no one else had. Next time i'll consider not doing so.

Gareth

 

[StevieEvans]

Fair enough, but...
Although SEO and LEO will sit out in the open its not a common behavior, especially in the day.
Gareth

Hi Gareth
although yours is a rather sweeping generalization, i would wholeheartedly disagree with you
(but dont worry theres a load of folks who dont know their asio from their elbow..)
How you catch up with it again Vicky
SE

 

[BobTag]

All that said, i obviously don't know what the bird is or what i'm talking about and only tried to offer some help as no one else had. Next time i'll consider not doing so. Gareth

As my scouser mate says; "calm down, calm down". What ever happened to "smile people", Gareth?

In this thread, Vicky posted her sighting and invited comment. Unfortunately Vicky was unable to see much detail, so we didn't have that much relatively to go on, or a photo, to help. In this case we can form our own opinions and make suggestions, but they are only opinions.

With so much ambiguity, it should be expected that not everyone will agree, especially not with the first view put forward. So there is then a discussion, hence the term discussion group... Why throw your teddy out of the pramm just because someone has put forward an alternative perspective?

To be honest, with a case like this people draw on their own experience to make a suggestion; of course a little local knowledge also helps.

BT

 

[jforgham]

Hi there,
Reports of Eagle owl around East Herts/Bishop's Stortford are not common. The last to appear on BF was May 2007 (if I recall correctly). This was seen in the A10/A120 Standon and Puckeridge area, north of Hertford, south of Buntingford. As I reported then an escape from 2002(?) made its way West from Stortford where it left a display taking place at a local school. I tend to take these reports as genuine although several searches of local woodlands have proved fruitless. I know of 2 people who know their owls that have reported an eagle owl in East Herts and so am fairly convinced that it/they are present. Prior to these 2 sightings the last good report came from Great Hadham golf club (2004?) which can be found on the back road from Much Hadham to Stortford.
They're pretty good at keeping themselves to themselves and plenty of privately owned and therefore inaccessible deciduous woodland could easily hold an eagle owl.
Would be good to get definite proof. I shall inform the chap whose owl it is/was and keep him informed although after 5 years I suspect it won't return to the whistle and call. Come to think of it, it didn't when it did know the system!
regards,
Jono

Edit: just found this. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=86315
PS Obviously not saying either of these sightings were eagle owls, but two not too far apart plus previous sightings could well add up to something.

 

[Jaff]

Vicky you could do a google search for images of the afore mentioned Owls and see which one looks most like the one you saw, or do the same in our gallery.