Wintering ''eared'' owls,and prefered habitat? (1 Viewer)

[Jaff]

Are the SE and LE owls of Europe the same as North America????...

I think they are Asio flammeus for SEO's and Asio otus for LEOs. Just check in one of your bird books to see if it's the same.

It seems to me though that SEO's are almost global, I saw a documentary about the Galapagos Is. not so long ago and they even have them there!

Jaff

Edit: Just thought I'd include this link if it helps anyone. Only saw LEO's for myself a fortnight ago at this place. Pretty good views as they're very close to the path.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=72800&highlight=Marton+Mere

 

[Tyke]

The LEO have two such roost sites which seem to be chosen according to the direction of the wind.They can be seen easily from a footpath and don't seem at all phased by constant viewing.

Hi Colin,

I'm considering coming to Rye this weekend primarily for the LEO's, any tips on where to find them, best time of day etc?

Thanks,

John.

Hi John-I PM'd you with grid refs.
Cheers
Colin

 

[matt green]

They can be seen easily from a footpath and don't seem at all phased by constant viewing.Colin

I wonder if this is more to do with the owls faith in it's own camouflage and ability to remain unseen rather than being tolerant of human observation?

I myself have seen a few long eared owls at roost and they are usually happy to remain perched, as long as they have a clear escape route if they need it!
They also seem to be concious of the fact that their eyes are easily detected
by mobbing songbirds and potential threats,the main reason I believe why they look at you through half closed eyes! Below is a pic of a sunning long eared owl from some local farmland.I managed to get within 3m of it (note the half closed eyes!)

Matt

 

[Tyke]

You're probably right Matt.
The Rye Harbour roost I mentioned was disturbed recently by the gravel pit owner, who removed cover behind the favourite willow-with a digger!.The LEO's deserted this tree & it was feared that they would have moved to another similar( inaccessible) site in the area-there are lots of gravel pit-side willows around.In fact the LEO's moved round the same pit to a suitably sheltered willow a few yards away!
There is clearly something attractive about this spot which overrides it's proximity to a track with regular pedestrian & vehicular traffic.
It shelters from the North & East.Their other known roost nearby shelters from the North & West.
Colin

 

[luke]

last winter we had an influx of SEO, and they wintered up on the hills at well over a 1000 feet, hunting over heathland and boggy patches. they arived in january and left in april, providing us with some excellent birding.

 

[Cudyll Bach]

I'm considering coming to Rye this weekend primarily for the LEO's, any tips on where to find them, best time of day etc?

I am also considering making the trip up there this weekend, mainly for the LEOs but also I see from the website that Corn Bunting are also in the area. Is it possible to catch up with both species in the same area (walking distance) or are they further apart? Grid refernces would be great if someone can supply them.

 

[Tyke]

The Corn Buntings come over from Camber each morning to feed on the Reserve They pretty well pass over the Reserve Information Centre-Lime KIln Cottage-945187. If you park in the Car Park at Rye Harbour Village you are pretty central.Will copy you the LEO grid refs by PM.
Cheers
Colin

 

[StevieEvans]

Interesting point about both owls being in the same habitat Helen.I vaguely recall reading somewhere that these two owls are quite tolerant of each others presence and it has even been known for them to roost together in certain areas? I've also seen a barn owl and short eared owl perched very close to one another with no apparent ''unease''

This would definately not be the case with long eared owls and tawnys.I think this might have something to do with prefered hunting periods,the long eared owl being more crepuscular than the diurnal short eared owl and thus less likely to cause conflict over hunting space/prey items?

Matt

Locally,
A few keen amatuers have found that the vast majority of sites which are suitable for winter SEOs are also known to hold LEOs.

Most of the SEO winter sites go on to hold breeding LEOs (whether they be at sea level or 1,000'+)

Over recent years we have noted lowland breeding of SEOs, at 5 well spaced sites. ( 2 of these having all 5 species breeding in same season )

One site had a single Barn Owl, a Long-eared & a Tawny ALL roosting together in the same Hawthorn tree (Crataeugus monogyna).

Survey work (esp 2005) found Tawny owls living alongside LEOs at 60% of all successfully breeding LEO sites that year.

LEOs home range / hunting territory can include numerous Tawny territories.

Some of these Tawny / LEO sites have had an amicable co-existance for 20 years now.

When aireal conflict is seen between the two eared ssp, most times SEO is dominant even when close to LEOs nest.

SE

Added image, for those who havnt seen it elsewhere, taken recently by Whitburnmark

 

[Karl J]

through Dec, though i haven't seen them since xmas, there was often either 1 or 2 SEO's just west of Stokesby village on the tussocky cattle grazing fields - (which is a quiet corner along the northern edge of the Halvergate Marshes) - Last year also there were 1 or 2 regularly there right through the winter, and its the only place i've ever seen an LEO, .

Good smattering of Barn Owls too, and listening out for Tawny's in the evenings i've come across them calling a short way further to the west, on what is i suippose Upton Marshes, though i haven't seen one because i dont fancy wading through the dyke

 

[matt green]

Locally,
A few keen amatuers have found that the vast majority of sites which are suitable for winter SEOs are also known to hold LEOs.

Most of the SEO winter sites go on to hold breeding LEOs (whether they be at sea level or 1,000'+)

Over recent years we have noted lowland breeding of SEOs, at 5 well spaced sites. ( 2 of these having all 5 species breeding in same season )

One site had a single Barn Owl, a Long-eared & a Tawny ALL roosting together in the same Hawthorn tree (Crataeugus monogyna).

Survey work (esp 2005) found Tawny owls living alongside LEOs at 60% of all successfully breeding LEO sites that year.

LEOs home range / hunting territory can include numerous Tawny territories.

Some of these Tawny / LEO sites have had an amicable co-existance for 20 years now.

When aireal conflict is seen between the two eared ssp, most times SEO is dominant even when close to LEOs nest.

SE

Very interesting Stevie..

The situation with my local farmland sites is the fact that although these areas can attract both wintering owl species,there will already be resident tawnys and little owls on the site,and quite often attract visiting barn owls from neighboring farms!

The ability of the land to produce enough space and prey items for all of these owls at one time and in one place will vary from site to site. However,was especialy surprised about the quoted results from 2005 with tawny owls living alongside breeding long eared owls!

..Interesting variables that I have seldom found in non specialist publications.

Matt

 

[StevieEvans]

Very interesting Stevie..

The situation with my local farmland sites is the fact that although these areas can attract both wintering owl species,there will already be resident tawnys and little owls on the site,and quite often attract visiting barn owls from neighboring farms!

The ability of the land to produce enough space and prey items for all of these owls at one time and in one place will vary from site to site. However,was especialy surprised about the quoted results from 2005 with tawny owls living alongside breeding long eared owls!

..Interesting variables that I have seldom found in non specialist publications.

Matt

Matt

This year its very poor here for SEOs.

Over the past few years however, the species has benefited from environmental / agricultural changes. Set-a-side, field headlands etc have resulted in birds wintering in areas of "general" farmland, that wouldnt have supported them previously.

Local community forrests have been beneficial to them to (lowland breeding).
Even now, after some of the canopies have closed the sites still hold birds in winter, hunting the tracksides, rides & wood edges.

Both the species overlap & share habitat types in our upland areas, (heather & grass moorlands) but observer bias centered on our lowland east, means exact staus here is unclear....

Stevie

 

[teamsaint]

I think SEOs are increasingly being found more on farmland, stubble fields etc. Most of our SEO sightings will proably be from marshland but the main reason for this is simply that more of us go birding in this habitat. For example Bransbury Common, Hampshire, has several SEOs in winter, but it was only down to the landowner that these birds were ever discovered. I'm sure that there are lots of SEOs out there that no one is seeing because the type of habitat that they winter in is neglected.