Garden Owls

[JeffH]

Last night, just as it was getting dark, I saw something remarkable - a Barn Owl flew across the garden (for the 2nd time in a week!). Coming in from over the adjoining meadow on the left it flew straight through the garden and out over the fence on the right into next door's garden. This is only the 3rd time in 34 years that I've seen a Barn Owl in our garden so I stepped outside to see if I could see it anywhere. As I did so a Tawny Owl flew in from the same direction (Tawnys are regular visitors) and landed in a tree midway through the garden. It saw me and then flew back in the direction from which it came. What are the chances of that? Two of the UK's five species of Owl in the garden in the space of 30 seconds!!!

If I see the Barn Owl again I'll have to think about putting up a BO nestbox in one of the trees overlooking the meadow

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)

[Wild-Woman]

What an enviable experience. The box sounds a good idea. So its all down yours for an evening WAB meet then!!

[FUDGEY]

Amazing Jeff, why wait on putting a box up though? I wouldnt hesitate. This years young will be exploring new territories soon. Might even have to put two up for both species.

[actionfinch]

Brilliant ...jeff, just to see one would make my day ( in the wild that is )
I,ve only seen a little owl and was chuffed whn i saw that . I have heard an owl in the woods next to me but no sightings...

[aeshna5]

I would have been really excited by that- great result!

[nightshade]

Put the Box up Jeff, As Fudgey says, you may miss an opportunity otherwise!
You can always convert it to a Bat box later

[The Owl man]

5 species of Owl, Jeff??

1.Barn
2.Tawny
3.Little now fully accepted as a British Owl
4.Longeared
5.Shorteared
6.Snowy Breeding in the northern Isles
7.European Eagle Now well established and breeding and have been for many decades despite what some "experts" say.

Nonetheless, a nice sighting. I have been working with Owls since I was a small boy yet never cease to get a thrill from a close encounter wild sighting.

[RoyW]

Owls are something that is aways good to see - especially if you don't have to leave your own property!
Although the five British species are relatively widespread, most people don't get to see them much (especially the more nocturnal species).

Originally Posted by The Owl man

5 species of Owl, Jeff??

Yes five species.
Snowy Owls bred annually on Fetlar between 1967 & 1975, but are otherwise no more than rare vagrants with just a handful occuring (There are many other species of bird, as well as some dragonflies, which reach our shores in much larger numbers - and may establish temporary breeding populations - but which aren't generally regarded as "British species". If Snowy Owls weren't relatively long lived breeding on Fetlar probably wouldn't have taken place for as long as it did).

It is true that Eagle Owls have been recorded breeding in Britain for "decades" but there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that these breeding records refer to anything other than escaped or released individuals (some are known to have involved such birds). It is also somewhat of a stretch to claim that they are "established" - this would infer that they have a self supporting population that would be able to maintain itself in the absence of further escapes/releases. Again, Eagle Owls can be quite long lived birds, so pairs may be present in an area for some time without this meaning that they are "established" as a species.
There are many other bird species that can be found breeding in Brtain after having escaped from captivity that also cannot be considered "established" - even though they may be more breeding pairs than there are of Eagle Owl. Perhaps one day Eagle Owls may be regarded as an established "naturalised" resident of Britain (like the Little Owl), but than day has not come yet.

[The Owl man]

I think with regard to European eagle owls the fact that they have been resident in this county well before the introduction of the Little Owl and considerable evidence apparently exists to show that they were resident in this country during the middle ages does it for me. Certainly as a boy in the 40s I knew of Eagle owls in Northamtonshire.
As far as Snowy owls are concerned, again they are formally listed as a British Bird so I will stay with 7.
Whatever, as you suggest they are a magical creature. Living with them as I do day in day out does not diminish the impact they have.
You might be interested to know that it is generally stated that Birds of Prey do not give affection. I can assure you that an owl flying onto ones shoulder and preening ones hair and cuddling up close gets pretty darn close though I draw the line at copulating with my jacket collar. ahah. Best wishes Rod

[JeffH]

Thanks for all the comments folks

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

..... This years young will be exploring new territories soon........

They already are around here Fudgey and I suspect the one I've seen in the garden is one of the fledglings from a nestbox on a local farm situated only about 400m away from me.

I've been watching/photographing the birds at this box periodically throughout the summer. Five eggs hatched and 3 of the young were ringed in mid-June, the other two being too small at that time. When the box was checked again at the end of the first week in July, sadly only two young were still alive. The remains of two dead chicks (one of those ringed earlier and one of the smaller unringed birds) were found in the box, with the other smaller chick presumed to have been the victim of cannibalism by a larger sibling.

The two surviving birds started to fly in mid-July and dispersed from the immediate area of the nestbox in mid-August, soon after the corpse of one of the adult birds (the female) was found a few metres from the box - cause of death unknown

There are 3 other Barn Owl nestboxes on the farm concerned plus another on a golf course only a few hundred metres from my garden, so there's no desperate need for another box in the area - though it would be nice to see them in the garden more often and I may well decide to put a box up.

In that connection, the one I've been seeing came through the garden again last night at almost exactly the same time as the night before. This time I stood amongst the trees on the edge of the garden and watched it fly in across the adjoining meadow - always a beautiful sight

Originally Posted by The Owl man

5 species of Owl, Jeff??....

And yes Rod, five - for the reasons explained so eloquently by Roy and with which I'm in complete agreement (thanks Roy). Many of the "facts" concerning the history of Eagle Owls here in the UK remain in doubt and so far as I'm concerned neither Eagle Owls nor Snowy Owls can yet be legitimately regarded as established British species.

But thanks for your input Rod and welcome to WAB - I'm sure you're expertise with Owls will be a very valuable addition to the site.

Finally and for all those interested in Barn Owls, may I draw your attention to my "Barn Owl Diary" thread of a few years ago - Barn Owl Diary (with photos)

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Barn Owls, Kingfishers and Avocets)