night caller

nightwaker · #1 (**permalink**) 22-08-2011, 08:42 AM

Hi. I'm a new member and am interested to identify a bird which keeps waking me in the early hours 2 a.m. ish. It has a single call "wheee", it's not shrill and seems to land in my front garden, fly around it circularly, "wheeeing" each time it alights , then I can hear it in other gardens in the distance (seems a straight line of flight up the road) until it disappears. Can anyone suggest what it might be, please?

Anne

Jason Claxton · #2 (**permalink**) 22-08-2011, 09:17 AM

Hi Nightwaker and welcome to WAB

There is a lot of "wheeeing" going on in the early hours on our street!

I'd like to think it is a Tawny or a Little owl,you can try the owl pages site,google that and have a listen yourself,it is a bit scary though.

nightwaker · #3 (**permalink**) 22-08-2011, 10:30 AM

Thanks for this; sorry to be thick but is the owl page on this website or do you mean for me to Google it as a separate website?

as for the "wheeing".....how unpleasant for you!

regards

Anne

Deb London · #4 (**permalink**) 22-08-2011, 10:38 AM

I assume Jason means: The Owl Pages - About Owls - photos, calls, books, art, mythology and more.

More specifically:
http://www.owlpages.com/sounds.php

nightwaker · #5 (**permalink**) 22-08-2011, 11:08 AM

I've found it now, it is definitely a little owl call, thank you very much.

Dogghound · #6 (**permalink**) 23-08-2011, 07:14 AM

What is the surrounding habitat like? It would be unusual to have little owls in urban areas. More likely a Tawny Owl which have a very large range of calls, including ones similar to what you describe.

Acipiter · #7 (**permalink**) 23-08-2011, 07:48 AM

From your description it does sound more like tawny owl behaviour. But I do know of two pairs of l/owls that regularly nest in my town, one in the local water works building, just on the edge of town, and one in a large garden shed.

artdemole · #8 (**permalink**) 23-08-2011, 09:33 AM

Tawny owl is the most likely answer.Heard a lot in fields at back.Position is edge of large village.Over looking Camerton/Dunkerton Valley.

nightwaker · #9 (**permalink**) 06-09-2011, 10:44 AM

Hello all,

apologies for delayed response.

Habitat: reasonably sized front garden, laurels, holly trees, a yew tree, couple of firs, rhododendrons. On main road out of village, open fields and orchard about 300 yards behind, open farmland and cattle about quarter of a mile away. Very soft call, not "hooting" definitely "whee" (but loud enough to wake anyone); have heard the hooting one (sorry, I'm very much a bird novice) in the past but this isn't the same call.

Whilst I'm on page, every year, October ish time a large flock of birds are eating the yew berries...they look like a cross between a starling and a thrush in plumage (two of the 6 birds I know

) but a bit larger,they are only around for 2 or 3 days and aren't seen again, flock or singles, until the following year. Can someone give a clue as to what these are please?

Thank you