Nocturnal calls

[Kittiwake]

I started a thread a few months ago regarding nocturnal bird calls that went on throughout the night. I had made a really rough recording and the WAB consensus was that the birds were tawny owlets.

I've since acquired a decent sound recorder (thanks The Woodman for the advice on makes and models!) and I have made some better recordings of them. Here's one:

YouTube - Nocturnal Bird Calls UK

[RoyW]

Yes, that's definitely Tawny Owls (you can here one in the background as well).
Young Tawnys often give calls like this, but if they were recorded recently it is probably too late for fledglings (Tawnys tend to fledge early in the year), so these will be contact calls between fully grown birds - possibly still this years young though.

[accipter]

I missed the advice on recording makes and models could you tell me please thank you.

[The Woodman]

I'm a fan of the Olympus LS10 and make many recordings, almost daily this year. Mainly used for digitally recording from bat detectors, I've used it all over the place for other wildlife recordings. Three weeks in British Columbia last month saw it used for recording Ravens in first growth forests to float plane take off and landing.

I've had the Edirol and other people I know use other makes and models, Zoom H4, Marantz etc but the LS 10 ease of use and the way it fits my hand (plus the quality) does it for me. I've put a review on WAB - click on Reviews on the top tool bar.

It's not cheap when compared with some MP3/4 recorders though but the quality is first class.

p.s. The LS10 is available with a remote control now which I can imagine could be very useful for wildlife recording.

[accipter]

I had a look at your review I will check it out thanks again.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Kittiwake

I started a thread a few months ago regarding nocturnal bird calls that went on throughout the night. I had made a really rough recording and the WAB consensus was that the birds were tawny owlets.

I've since acquired a decent sound recorder (thanks The Woodman for the advice on makes and models!) and I have made some better recordings of them. Here's one:

YouTube - Nocturnal Bird Calls UK

If its any consolation, I reckon I learn a new tawny owl call pretty much every year!! They seem to have quite a range beyond the expected t-wit t-wooo.

[rossy]

yes the one you can hear in the background is an adult, and if ever you come across the white fluffy young ones, they will make a clicking sound, as you go near them, they tend to venture out of the nest before they can fly, but on no account should you pick them up, unless you think they are in danger, put them up a tree ,where you find them, as the adults wont be faraway, rossy.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by rossy

yes the one you can hear in the background is an adult, and if ever you come across the white fluffy young ones, they will make a clicking sound, as you go near them, they tend to venture out of the nest before they can fly, but on no account should you pick them up, unless you think they are in danger, put them up a tree ,where you find them, as the adults wont be faraway, rossy.

It's not the time of year when you are likely to find owlets, but it is perhaps worth adding a warning about the potential dangers of handling young Tawny Owls. The main thing to remember is that even if you know where the nest is it is best not to attempt to move an owlet that you find back to the nest (or approach the nest for other reasons) - if it is in danger carefully move it to somewhere safe nearby. The adults will almost certainly be somewhere nearby, and will sometimes attack intruders in defence of their nest site. Injuries can be caused by Tawny Owls, and the well known bird photographer Eric Hoskings lost an eye when he was attacked by a Tawny Owl at a nest he was trying to photograph.
More advice here: Tawny Owls - Help And Information - Turbary Woods

Of course, if you are not at their nest there is no risk of being attacked by Tawny Owls - it's not worth them risking injury to themselves!

[rossy]

yes roy but the recordings had been made some months back , owls nest very early in the year, and ive witnessed first hand tawnys , attacking, as when i was younger, a pair nested in a park in what was called a dump, me and some mates were cutting through, and a tawny swooped down and knocked one of the lads over, cutting his head in the process, that was when we spotted 4 chicks on the branches nearby, so we left rather quickly, rossy.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by rossy

yes roy but the recordings had been made some months back

My reference to it not being the time of year for young Tawny Owls was linked to the mention of handling owlets (and the potential risks of this if care is not taken), and was not referring to the recordings at all.

However, no mention of when these recording were made has been made by the OP, which is why my original answer stated:

Originally Posted by RoyW

Yes, that's definitely Tawny Owls (you can here one in the background as well).
Young Tawnys often give calls like this, but if they were recorded recently it is probably too late for fledglings (Tawnys tend to fledge early in the year), so these will be contact calls between fully grown birds - possibly still this years young though.

Note that I did not say that the recording is not, fledgling Tawny Owls, only that they will be fully grown birds if the recordings were made recently.