Snowy Owl

On Saturday morning Leicestershire was covered with an inch or so of overnight snow and the sun was shining, I'd been waiting for conditions like this for ages. It was now time to put my plan into action, Little Owl images in the snow, something I'd never previously managed and the excellent light levels should make for some great stuff.

I visited all the usual suspect sites where owls could be watched and photographed without the need to get out of the car, yep it was going to be a lazy day and I wanted to stay in the relative warmth! However things weren't going quite to plan, it was the same story at every site.....no owls!!! 

After exhausting all the known "easy" sites I'd resigned myself to the fact that in order to get the images I wanted I'd got to get my fat ass out of the Landrover and walk! This was bad on two counts, firstly it was bitter cold and the biting wind obviously made it feel even worse and  secondly, to get near to owls on foot for close up images is terribly difficult. 

It was only a short walk at site No 1 and it paid off when an owl was finally located, tight up to the main trunk sheltering owl of the wind. Considering it was a hand held shot the final results weren't too bad, very autumnal but no snow!  

The next site where an owl was located was site No 77, normally I can drive my landrover over the fields and up to the nest tree here but due to the fact the farmer had moved some cattle in I'd got to brave the elements and walk. I was rewarded for my efforts when the second owl of the morning was located, again some handheld shots but at least this time there was snow in the image, albeit a small amount! 

I pushed for a better image and got closer, the owl seemed reluctant to fly and just moved behind the snow covered main tree trunk, not really the snowy image I was after but the best I could managed before he got fed up with me and flew off!

An owl was also located at site No 97, this owl was a bit more alert than the previous and this was as close as I got before he disapeared!

During the search I checked out some potential new sites around the village of Hallaton, a fantastic area that I'd not been to before, a hugh area of remote open countryside with a scattering of mature "holey" trees that just oozes Little Owl! Luck would have it that eventually a new site was located, I was checking out a likely tree when this little chap appeared! I think the noise of the engine running disturbed him, I did managed this one "shaky" distant image from the car before it flew off.

New site No 136.

I checked the tree out and on the southern side I found the nest hole, it was bathed in full sun and I suspect that was where he was before my abrupt intervention disturbed him. I was going to stake it out and hope for his return and the chance of some better images but the wimp in me decided it was too cold and that could wait for another day!.......

Just So!!!!

This morning I was in accompanied by Mr Colin Green, a well respected local Leicestershire birder who has very kindly offered to help me with my Barn Owl nest box project. Today's task was to have a look around some local terrain and select what we believed to be the "most suitable" to site some boxes.

During our rounds we obviously encountered some of my known Little Owl territories, one of which was site No 77 in South Wigston. Here we located "bright eyes", a well known Little Owl to me who as the name suggests has the biggest, brightest and most intensely yellow eyes I have ever seen in a Little Owl. He was located in his nest tree sitting among the spindly branches, again on his own as his mate has not been seen now for over twelve months!

Alone..........Bright Eyes.

Colin and I were having some good close views when all of a sudden he uplifted and flew to a nearby Willow Tree. We followed in the Landrover and to our surprise when we relocated him he wasn't alone! He had got his partner with him, but it wasn't his old mate who I haven't seen for an age, he had a new woman in tow! I immediately recognise her, she was one of this years chicks from the nearby site No 105, and how do I know? Well if you study the two images below I'm sure you will agree it is far more than a coincidence!!

Site No 77, the new woman, along with a damaged left eye!

June 2010, Chick from nearby site No 105 with damaged left eye!

I know the images are not identical she has obviously moulted out into the adult plumage which is darker and more contrasting but I have no doubt it is the same bird! What do you think?

Anyway after all that distraction time ran away with us but we did managed to survey two very suitable sites where in the not too distant future some Barn Owl boxes will be erected.

After Colin had made his way (he was late for his Sunday lunch!) I made the trip over to Great Easton. Another well know birder from the east of the county, Mr John Turner had invited me to accompany him on a vigil to a village called Great Easton, Short Eared Owls were the quarry. They had returned for the winter and had been showing really well on the previous few days.

We parked up adjacent to the area where they had previously been seen hunting and waited for them to show. Whilst we waited we made best of the time chatting and catching up as we hadn't met for a good few months.

Although bitterly cold the time past really quickly and after a couple of hours the expectant crowd had grown from just the two of us to around twenty hopeful observers. John decided to take matters into his own hands and wandered off down the track to see if they were hunting in the out of sight adjacent field.

John had nearly wondered out of sight when the first Short Eared Owl appeared.....typical! He soon made his way back to the posse who were by now well onto the owls.

It was great to eventually see the owls, three in total plus a bonus Barn Owl but due to their late showing the photography was very difficult indeed as the light had almost gone!.

This was my best capture from a pretty bad bunch.

How could you cap such a wonderful day? Well I will tell you how, by finding another Little Owl site on the way home.........that's how! John had given me the info on a potential site at a village called Cranoe, I followed his precise directions to a tee,  but after around 30 minutes nothing was either seen or heard! I gave up and left, then only a few hundred yards out of the village I spotted a suspect blob sitting on top of a barn......LITTLE OWL!!!!! Fantastic site No 135.

The "Blob"

 I have my suspicions on whether or not this owl is from the site John tried to put me onto, never the less I will have to give him the credit........for now!

Today was a superb day, many thanks must go to Colin & John for making it just so!

Are the Buzzards to blame?

I was "owl n about" again Saturday evening, checking on a few local sites hoping for some more "late show" juveniles. The weather through the day had been really terrible (usless for seeing owls) which lead to the late start.

Again I went over to South Wigston but the pair juveniles that had set up a temporary home in a pile of logs had gone (see previous posting), or at least they weren't showing! Maybe it was the wet conditions they didn't like?

Anyhow, as I was in the area I thought I'd check out site No 77 as no owls had shown here on my last 3 or 4 visits, I was a little concerned for their welfare as a pair of Buzzards have built a nest in an adjacent tree and I feared the worse!!!! 

I staked out the nest tree for about 30 mins when I caught a movement up high in the canopy, upon closer inspection I located one of the adult Little Owls. It allowed me to get quite close, albeit it was never really in full view and never out in the open! I am now wondering if the close proximity of the breeding Buzzards has made them particularly nervous, maybe this is the answer to why there has been no breeding evidence  this year? 

 Little Owl Site 77, a nervous bird!

Although I didn't get any more owl action whilst in the fields at South Wigston there was plenty of activity from some other notable species, Lesser Whitethroat, Wheatear x 2, Stonechat, Green Sandpiper, Snipe and 3 x Kingfishers.

It was by now getting late so it was a quick dash over to Fleckney to check out sites 19 & 28 to see if this years tally of juveniles could be improved upon. No such luck, nothing showing at site 19 and only a single owl at site 28 and that was an adult.

On my return journey I stopped off at site 97 near to Wistow, beings as I know where to look it didn't take me long to locate the juveniles, and good news there are still 3 of them! It was not very conducive for images though as they were staying partially hidden and high up in the nest tree.   

Juveniles No 1 & 2 at site 97, can you see them both? 

I was just about to leave when one of the parent owls came in with a small vole, it landed on one of the outer limbs and started squawking, the temptation of food coaxed the youngsters out, the vole was ripped to bits by the juveniles in about 30 seconds, and yes all the action was missed........ I had just packed the camera away!!!!!!

Juvenile No 2 - post feeding frenzy! 

Juvenile No 3 - post feeding frenzy!  

Oh well I'm sure I'll have better luck next time with the action shots but it was still good to see all 3 juveniles showing and still doing really well.

Fluff Ball

Not much to shout about this weekend in terms of Little owl's sightings, my intentions were to have a nice early start on Saturday. This didn't happen......I think the drowning of my sorrows the night before took its toll, too many toasts to our gloriously useless England Football Team (what a bunch of TO#*ERS!!!!).

After the late start (and still throbbing head) a nice lazy day was planned, but not as lazy as it turned out! I went over to my site 33 at the local quarry. My intention was to hopefully get some adult images bringing in a variety of food for the juveniles. I was in situ and in my hide for 11.30am, after half an hour a juvenile appeared and sat at the nest entrance.  Great the plan was coming together, all I needed now was the adults to appear...........at 7.30pm I packed up, no adults showed after a wait of EIGHT hours!!!!!!

All I had to show for a very loooooooooong day was this "fluff ball" of a juvenile Little Owl.

  

Sunday found me checking out a few local sites with the hope of seeing some "out of the nest" juveniles. First call was at site 53 near to Countesthorpe, here a juv was spotted almost immediately sitting in a cavity below the nest hole.  

During the morning another 6 sites were visited but all to no avail, no more juveniles were sighted but en route a few adult birds were seen but all too distant for any decent images.

A single bird was located sunning itself at site 77.

Another single bird was seen out hunting from the posts at site 105.

Hopefully the lack of juvenile sighting will be put right in the week to come, that is if they haven't all gone into hiding and don't want to come out to play...........just like our football team!!!!! 

Washing in the rain!

Rid you must be bonkers going out in this, I thought to myself as I made my way to the "big field" in South Wigston, it was absolutely pouring it down with rain, the light was really poor, surely no sane Little Owl would be mad enough to venture out in this..........or would they???

I parked up the Landrover in between the nest tree and some very attractive hunting posts (attractive to the owls that is) and waited. The rain was so heavy I couldn't see out of the windows, so it was on with the de-mister and windscreen wipers, five minutes later I spotted my first owl (he must be as mad as me being out in this!!!).

What I witnessed next was truly remarkable, the owl in question sat on a fence post, wings outstretched having a bath for a good 10 minutes!!!! Well of all the different and unusual antics that I have seen Little Owls perform this was a new one to me. 

Double click on any of the below images for larger and more detailed version.

After the rain bath the owl got to work looking for worms on the grass. it didn't take him long to find his juicy wriggly morsel and he flew with it onto a post I had previously positioned. Moments later he was off again, worm in beak towards his nest hole.

There was no messing about, he flew straight to the cavity, popped his head in and fed the chick. Not the greatest image but I uploaded it because if you look carefully you can see the chick just inside the hole, no doubt waiting for his next feed.

I then moved on along the field and up to site 77, today an owl was out.

I am really in a rush whilst writing this as I am suppose to be going out for a curry........10 minutes ago!!!! So I'm gunna have to cut loose and go, but before I  dash off, I would like to leave you with this final image of a very wet and bedraggled Little Owl, an image I am very very pleased with...........possibly my best so far????

All's well @ 77!

Managed to get owl 'n' about again tonight to try my luck at some more little owl photography, I elected to go and sit it out at site 77 near to South Wigston. I haven't seen a bird here since before xmas and I feared the worst, but after a good hour of waiting my fears were allayed when what I presume was the male bird showed himself.

Although it was late the light levels weren't too bad, I was really pleased with the sighting and the images I managed. The other good news was the nest box that I have erected here is now showing signs of occupancy, plenty of mute (a technical term for owl crap) could clearly be seen around the nest hole entrance. Fingers crossed that this may be the third of my boxes that plays host to some breeding activity this year.

    

This bird seemed restless and kept moving from branch to branch and looking down to the ground as though something there was disturbing him? I never did managed to determine what the agitation was all about, maybe a mink or other small predator? 

Just before departing I did managed an image of him as he took off from his perch, although distant and nearly dark I am really pleased to of attained this image of him in flight (although heavily cropped) and for once it wasn't of the rear end!!!

Shame about the wing clip, he was too fast for the camera
.............and me!!!!

Third Time Lucky!

Went out in the landrover tonight for an hour or so, first call was Lodge Farm at Blaby but after a good 30 minutes or so no birds were either seen or heard. After Lodge Farm I decided to go down the road to Port Hill, South Wigston, a new site found a couple of weeks ago. Same story here, absolutely nothing about although I did have a quick chat with a gentleman who did see a little owl here a few days ago. Next stop was at Pochins Bridge, South Wigston and thank goodness......a couple of owls were obliging here!

Site 77, Pochins Bridge - South Wigston.

Shame about the twigs otherwise this would have made a really nice image!

The nest tree at this site is only 10 mts or so from the river's edge and whilst I was watching and waiting for the owls to move into a more photographic position I noticed something moving and twitching along the shoreline. After investigation this little chap was pinpointed and the resultant image was obtained.

Common Snipe.

Location Location Location!

A few weeks ago it was decided a nestbox scheme for my little owls would be a good idea, if the birds could be persuaded to relocate from their existing "natural" nest sites to artificial ones it would give greater access to the nest chamber and excellent opportunities to ring the birds. At the moment I don't have the required qualification to ring the owls so Andy Smith of Charnwood Ringers was contacted and he has very kindly offered his services as and when they are requested...........should there be any relocation and breeding success????

Ken Goodrich was very influential in getting some funding from LROS that would enable the purchase of enough timber to make 20 boxes to the same specifications of the box featured in the January issue of the BTO News, further details can be seen/downloaded from this link. Barn Owl Trust.

The timber arrived last Thursday and after many many hours assembling and treating them the first 3 boxes were finally erected today, many thanks to my old mate Ron (let me hold ya ladder) Hawkins for his help. 

This above box was situated on an Ash tree very close to a pair which raised 2 young in 2009.

The below box was put up in an old Willow which is home to a pair which have also had breeding success .

The 3rd box was erected in an old barn (too dark for an image!) which also holds a pair although no previous breeding successess are known

 

Whilst out putting up the boxes some close owl's views were possible.

Obviously the exact site locations will not be divulged but needless to say they have all been very carefully selected and are on quiet, private land.

Owl N About 30/01/10

After many visits and countless hours of waiting this was the first image I have managed from this location. Two birds showed well today and the observations were mainly attributed to my new hide, (more info on that later). 

Site 77, South Wigston - Pochins Bridge.