I just heard an OWL!!!!!!

[wildherbalian85]

I was just walking to local tesco when i bird flew over me making a bizarre call... i though maybe it was bat but then i realized it could not be a bat.

I have spent last 40 minutes on the net and i have come to the conclusion it was probably a young Long-eared Owl.. this is strange as i live in a coastal city on the south coast.

It sounded just like these...

YouTube - the sound of owl

but i continued looking into this and i came across this site....

Owl Calls & Sounds - All Species

and listened to lots but....

http://www.owlpages.com/sounds/Asio-otus-5.mp3

this is just what i heard... only exception is that there was only one bird that i heard

This is so strange and i very very excited... insane stuff!!!

[wildherbalian85]

Well the heart of Farlington Marsh is less then 2 miles from my location.

Basically i have been looking into this owl as i want to know more and found this

Stephen Burch's Birding Website UK bird pics Winter 2008/09

also other reports of them on near by Hayling and IOW.

This is the first time i have ever heard this bird... maybe it was just passing by???

[ray55]

Hiya

I live at Cowplain and I often saw an owl when I took out my recently departed Labrador late in the evening..heard them a lot too....not necessarily the same one you heard but its good to know they are in the area...And as you say..Farlington Marshes is only just down the road. I have often heard of sightings there, though never saw any there myself. A great place for sparrowhawks and quite often Peregrines too. Seen them regularly there.

Regards

Ray

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by ray55

Hiya

I live at Cowplain and I often saw an owl when I took out my recently departed Labrador late in the evening..heard them a lot too....not necessarily the same one you heard but its good to know they are in the area...And as you say..Farlington Marshes is only just down the road. I have often heard of sightings there, though never saw any there myself. A great place for sparrowhawks and quite often Peregrines too. Seen them regularly there.

Regards

Ray

A friend of mine who is a delivery man said to me that he used to see a Tawny most mornings flying along Eastern Road, Portsmouth. He says though that he has not seen it now for a quite few months and believes that it may have been hit by a car. I also used to know of owls up around Porchester Castle too Again though i never actually saw or heard them The only owl in my general area that i have ever heard other then last nights owl is a Tawny at Kinglsey Vale.

[Dogghound]

Its not strange to find long earred owls in coastal locations especially at this time of year leading through the autumn migration. We get Long earred owls around here in coastal scrub and farmland on their way inland.

[Stevelphoto]

Are you sure it wasn't a young tawny owl calling? They can be very vocal at this time of year. Either way, well done!

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Stevelphoto

Are you sure it wasn't a young tawny owl calling? They can be very vocal at this time of year. Either way, well done!

Positive... I listened to plenty of different owl calls on that site and the young Long eared Owl noise is Identical.

In all my years i have lived in this city this is a first and probably (though i hope not) the last