Short scary visit

I stopped on the way home to watch a Shorty having fun with a Crow the owl rising effortlessly to @ 200' to evade the corvid.

As I watched someone dropped out of the tree right overhead..... frightening the life out of me!!! Before making off along the lane , - a Little Owl ! - it must have been getting his own back for me scaring it's mate on the rockface !

some Little Owls

Back at a few of my old haunts
Lots of Little Owls about

I peered over a ledge & managed to get a nice image of this one - i dont know who got the biggest surprise !

The next one was also on a Limestone rock face:-

This one was curious as i was semi-concealed, but he seemed more interested in  the small birds flitting around him.

Little Owls seen / heard this past week at Pittington, Moorsley, Littletown, Broomside, Haswell, Shotton, Daisy Hill, Chilton Moor.

Little surprise / Little above

A recent unforeseen move is already paying dividends, with 4 owl species over the last few days, with fresh evidence of Barn Owl too.
A Short-eared hunting an industrial site, Long-eared hunting at dusk, several Tawny on call & several Littles.

Shorter days

Within a space of little over a week our local Short-eareds have changed tact from daylight hunting to crepuscular activity.

Early

At the weekend i watched 2 of the Shorties vanish as soon as the sun was up & at another site 2 more roosting late in the afternoon - but not hunting untill the light had almost gone -

When it did, the first thing his bird attempted to catch was a Blackbird, swooping through thorns & boughs but failed on that attempt.

Hopefully theyll be out & about & a bit more conspicious as the winter kicks in.....

Late

Another roosting Long-eared Owl shot from DaveA from one of my old stomping grounds nr Sacriston ;-

Nicely taken - & just rewards from someone who doesnt mind putting a bit of time , effort & legwork in.

floaters

small numbers of Short-eared Owls now present right across our local area

.

Silhouetted Long-eared at dusk, perched up after an altercation with a passing Short-eared Owl.

An hour before the light went today produced a Little Owl with a Magpie in attendance, a Short-eared or two hunting with a Long-eared just after half-past, a Jack Snipe flicking past close by moving off out the way of the hunting asios.

At Ease

a roosting Long-eared in Elder, viewed from public footpath

Long & Short

An obscured view

A typical view

iPhone record of a Short just coming in after crossing the North Sea - amazing vis-mig.

roosting Long's

A roost of Long-eared Owls

& the fourth one was the closest....we hadnt even noticed it !

A clip of this fourth bird checking us out....

# # short OWL Clip # #

These birds all visible from a public footpath & we were pleased to have left the roost as we found it, intact.