Pellet ID, please

[vole-woman]

Found on a n Shropshire Moss today.



It was full of beetle cases, but no stones or mammal bones.

[Goatboy]

This is purely a guess, so don't take my word, I know nothing about pellets.

But if it is mostly made from insect casings, are we looking at a Little Owl pellet?

[vole-woman]

I wondered that, but I don't know a lot about owls. There were corvid pellets about but they were full of stones, quite distinctive.

[actionfinch]

I was going to say a Hobby .A picture i have in a book, looks the same as your picture ( and contains beetle elytra...the picture that is ) but thats pure guessing ...
And again little owl... have a little look into the diets of the birds you might think it is?.
You have to disect it ....i know i would ....

[vole-woman]

I did squash it open - it was very moist and fresh - and it was just more of the same. Be lovely if it was a hobby: they are around there because the warden told me.

[The Woodman]

I've never seen a Hobby pellet, it does look like a Little Owl pellet. Are there LO on the moss, VW?

[vole-woman]

I just don't know. I'll ask around.

[bigdave60dog]

Magpie,
Dave

[vole-woman]

There are little owls, apparently. But you think magpie, Dave? What's the giveaway?

[bigdave60dog]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

There are little owls, apparently. But you think magpie, Dave? What's the giveaway?

They look just like that, At around 35cm it is the right size. They are always present around magpie nesting areas and there are more magpies than little owls and hobbies. That one looks to have few plant husks in too.. That`s why I suggested taking it apart.
Dave