Owls in winter

[AshLee]

As a small child I used to pass a tall pine tree as I walked to school. High up in the tree, two owls roosted every year in winter. They sat quite close to each other and always on the same branch. And they returned every year. They made such an impression that I still look up at that tree to that same branch even now if I am ever passing.

Although I used to assume that they were Tawny Owls/Wood Owls I am now wondering if they were the Long-eared variety. My ID skills were not that well developed back then. I cannot rely on my memory to decide which species they resembled most. But does anyone have any information about the winter roosting habits of owls, or any other thoughts, that could help me decide.

Thanks in advance,

Ash

[artdemole]

They both roost in woods at night.Some times roost together at night in winter. Longeared owl is slimmer than the tawny...

[AshLee]

If both species roost with other members of their species in winter, and both choose similar locations, then I guess there is no way to ever know. Thanks anyway.

(I can just add that the location was very exposed. Not in a wood.)

I do remember that the owls were slim-looking. (I must have spent hours watching them over various visits and they were aware of me. They hardly opened their eyes, but their heads followed my direction. But I simply cannot recall enough detail now to decide the species, and I had hoped that their habits would provide clues).

[animartco]

Hi Ashlee. Don't you remember whether or not they had ears? Surely you would have remembered? A long eared owl's tufts are quite a prominent feature. Also they do look longer or thinner than a tawny I think, and possibly are more likely to sit around during the day, on fence posts at the edge of woodland. That's where I saw one.
Lng time ago although I have lots of little owls in the garden. Very active and noisy at dusk.

[AshLee]

Re. ears, I don't know. I know that sounds odd. The more I think about it and look at pictures, the more I think I made a mistake and they were Long-eared Owls. I think I assumed that all owls had ears when I was at primary school anyway. (They were owls and there were pellets .)

But I don't want to concentrate on things that aren't facts. The location, and that there were two, and the approximate time of year, and that they kept returning year after year were facts. I realise that I'll never actually know for certain, but any information about habits of both species would be of interest to me.

I'll have a listen to their calls and see if I can think if I ever heard them at night.

Ta.