Fair Share

This winter has been brilliant for over wintering SEO's (Short Eared Owl) in Britain, and here in Leicestershire we have had our fair share too!

I urge anyone living in the Leicestershire area who has yet to see one  this year to do so........and fast! Its hard to say just how much longer they will be with us before they start heading back to their northern breeding grounds, but it won't be long?

The ideal location to see them is in areas of rough pasture, they can be seen "floating" about on their massive outstretched wings hunting for voles. Early morning and late afternoon is normally the best time, and if one stands still adjacent to some suitable habitat it is amazing just how close they will come!

This winter I have had the privilege to see them at 5 different Leicestershire locations, but there has been reports/sightings from at least 9 different sites. Unfortunately one of these sites is on private land and needs to stay undisclosed but the others that have been disclosed are as follows.

Location/Peak Numbers.

Burton Lazars - 6

Hallaton - 14

Cossington Meadows - 4

Hicks Lodge - 3

Eyebrook Reservoir - 3

Rutland Water - 4

Cold Overton - 5

Longmoor Lake - 1

Undisclosed - 3  

I used the LROS (Leicestershire & Rutland Ornithological Society) news page to collate the majority of the reported sites and bird numbers, you too can keep tabs on what birds have been seen and where by clicking here LROS

This latest image was taken at Hallaton, (my 5th site) and thanks must go to John Turner for pointing me in the right direction.

So come on the folk of Leicestershire, get out there and see one for yourself before its too late, I'm sure you won't regret it......

Drip Drying

It was windy, raining and getting dark as I approached one of my SEO sites, I nearly didn't bother as all "the rules" were telling me it was a waste of time and nothing would be showing. But I couldn't ignore the niggling inclination I had that it might just be worth the effort this time?

I pulled up and quickly surveyed the area for flying birds, initially nothing was seen. As I scanned the area through my binoculars I picked up one in the distance field perched on a very spindly branch, then another on the hedgerow.

Owl No 1

Owl No 2

A couple of quick shots of the two distant birds were bagged, I then moved a little further along the track and a third was was picked up, again on a distant perch in the middle of the field.

Owl No 3

Then as I made my way further down the track and a fourth bird was sighted in a tree, I slowly made my way to it and got the closest image so far!

Owl No 4

I continued along and through a gap in the hedgerow, what met me the other side stopped me dead in my tracks, an owl sat there staring me out no more than 20 feet away! I'm not sure which of us was more startled, but neither of us budged. I dare not move for a few seconds but then my paparazzi instinct kicked in and a few shots were rattled off. The owl then took flight and landed further along the hedgerow.

Owl No 5, my best SEO image to date, I think?

After that fantastic encounter I made my way back to the car, I was just about to pull off when a sixth owl was noticed just along the track. The camera setting were adjusted to the low light and I chanced my luck by creeping very slowly to a more advantageous position, luckily the owl stayed put long enough for me to get that dammed perched image I've been after for months!

Owl No 6, a perched owl.

All the time I was there (around 40 minutes) it was very strange that I never saw an owl flying about or hunting? The only explanation I have is that the birds must have been "drying out" after sitting in the middle of the field all day in the pouring rain, I guess I will never know the answer but one thing is for sure, I will never forget my closest ever encounter with a SEO and at last I bagged that "perched" image that I have so desperately sought for what seems an age.

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!