Daytime Tawny

Wild-Woman · #1 (**permalink**) 10-03-2011, 05:16 PM

We were out in a wood today surveying some footpaths for a risk assessment. Oddly, we heard a tawny owl call in broad daylight. I've never heard one during the day. Is this normal or do you think is was alarmed by a sparrowhawk that was nipping in and out of the canopy?

aeshna5 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-03-2011, 05:18 PM

It's not that unusual to hear calls during the day from Tawny Owls, though I wouldn't say it was common place.

Wild-Woman · #3 (**permalink**) 10-03-2011, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

It's not that unusual to hear calls during the day from Tawny Owls, though I wouldn't say it was common place.

Thanks.Certainly a first for me.

healfdan · #4 (**permalink**) 10-03-2011, 06:42 PM

A few years back, around mid morning, I was riding my horse through an area of open scrub when I heard what I took to be a Tawny owl. I pushed my mount on and after a few minutes observed an owl perched on a branch some four metres from me. My horse stood at 17hh and this placed me almost at eye level with the bird. I edged my horse forward but reined back when the owl stretched out its neck and gazed at me rather enquiringly. At a distance of about two metres we sat staring at one another for a couple of minutes before my horse snorted, causing the owl to fly off through the trees.

nightshade · #5 (**permalink**) 10-03-2011, 06:52 PM

I walked around to the local supermarket a while back, and as you walk in the back way there is a large oak tree. Sat in a fork of the tree was a tawny almost at eye level

faz · #6 (**permalink**) 10-03-2011, 07:33 PM

they do get found out by the local song birds who then mob them continously focing them to move to a diffrent tree /location in there range and will call out as we would if woken up from sleep

werdnal · #7 (**permalink**) 10-03-2011, 07:56 PM

We've had some calling here by day a lot recently. They roost in a small conifer planation nearby, and by the amount of calls there must be more than one in there. Unfortunately its on private land so never been able to venture in there to actually see them, but we do see them at night.

We are used to the daytime calls now, but it does still seem a bit odd hearing a hooting owl on a bright sunny day!

Jonathan · #8 (**permalink**) 10-03-2011, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

We were out in a wood today surveying some footpaths for a risk assessment. Oddly, we heard a tawny owl call in broad daylight. I've never heard one during the day. Is this normal or do you think is was alarmed by a sparrowhawk that was nipping in and out of the canopy?

It's not too unusual, and probably isn't an indication that the bird's been disturbed. I visit a local nature reserve (Risley Moss) most days in my lunch hour, a tawny has been calling there for at least a year during the day. It's incredibly punctual, usually 1.45-2.00pm - telling me it's time to get back to work!

I was at World's End in North Wales on Saturday, a tawny called a couple of times from the wood there too.

Cheers
Jonathan