Blast From The Past - Little Owl

Blast From The Past - Owls

Tawny Owl-Elan Valley, Wales.

Little Owl-Remenham, Berks.

Short-eared Owl-Berkshire Downs, Berks.

November Local Sightings.

All three of the common Owls have been present throughout November, Tawny Owls can be heard regularly most nights calling from dusk onwards from nearby woodland and on the odd occasion can be seen perched in trees above the country lanes watching for prey and a certain individual has been "hooting" from the cottage roof in the early hours on a number of occasions.

Little Owls have been sighted on a regular basis at their favourite haunts, two perched together in the afternoon sun near Frieth and although our resident pair seem to be less active at the moment they are often heard calling to each other. A single bird has also been heard calling from the fields near Skirmett.

Barn Owls are still being heard in the fields adjacent to the cottage after dusk, two individuals again have been heard with one being extremely close to the cottage, a single bird flew in front of the car as I drove along the A4155 early evening at the beginning of November, it headed towards the Henley Management College and could well be one of the pair that I often watched hunting along the towpath near Hambleden Lock during 2003/04.

Redwing have stripped the hedgerows of most of the berries and a flock of about 20-25 birds seem to be found most days in and around the neighbouring fields and hedgerows. Fieldfare on the other hand have been small in numbers with most sightings being seen migrating overhead, a flock of 12+ was seen feeding in a adjacent field in the last week of November. Blackbird Numbers have risen to at least 5 males & 3 females, often being found along the hedgerows and country lanes and a pair that are regularly seen in and around the garden. Sightings of Mistle Thrushes have also increased with two birds being seen quite regularly.

Three Great-spotted Woodpeckers have been visiting the garden feeders as have Blue & Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Coal Tit have returned to the feeders along with a few appearances from a single Nuthatch. Still no sightings of the local Marsh Tits although they often don't appear until December onwards. Two Goldcrests have returned to feed in the trees next to the garden and can be heard and seen most days. 2 Jays were seen on and off in the orchard and the rest of the garden regulars started turning up to make the most of what's on offer, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Magpie, Chaffinch, Greenfinch & Goldfinch all busily feeding in the garden as the weather turned colder. Not forgetting the single male Pheasant that has now given up feeding from below the feeders and prefers to stand on the squirrel guard and use the feeders. Red Kite & Buzzard are still daily sightings around the cottage with at least 6 Red Kites and 3 Buzzards being present in the area most days.

Carrion Crow, Rook and Jackdaw have all been feeding in the surrounding fields in large flocks, They seem to be favouring the fields with grazing Sheep presumably with the chance of a better selection of grubs and insects. The last week of November brought the unexpected sighting of 5 Jackdaws flying over the cottage at 9.30pm, a few calls as they headed over and they soon disappeared into the darkness as they flew west.The Gulls have returned to feed in the fields as they do most Winters, both Common & Black-headed Gull numbers seem to be increasing slowly and presumably return to Little Marlow Gravel Pits to roost.

Deer movement is still ongoing with small herds of Fallows Deer still passing through the garden and also near Frieth, all herds include a good number of this years fawns. A large herd of 50+ can often be seen in the fields near Luxters Farm, Hambleden. A couple of Fox sightings and a unusual sighting of a small Bat flying/feeding from 2-4pm in the third week of November finished off a busy month.

August Garden Sightings.

The Badgers have finally returned and have been seen late at night searching for food around the gardens, they haven't been seen for nearly a year and I was worried that something had happened to them. We had 6 visiting the garden on a regular basis during the winter of 2005 and I managed to film them through the living room window, it was truly an incredible experience to be able to watch them so close, sadly most sightings these days are of dead Badgers on the roadside.


Badger

A few deer have passed through with very young fawns, stopping to feed on the grass in the paddock outside our house, a common sighting throughout the year sometimes in numbers of 40+ but seldom seen with their young.

On the feeders have been Nuthatch, regular visits from 2 Marsh Tits, Long-tailed Tits have been passing through in family groups, no sign of the usual Goldcrest's that are often in the conifers. Both male and female Bullfinches have been seen regularly along the hedgerows nearby although not it the garden. Red-legged Partridge can often be seen and heard crossing the gardens and out in to the surrounding fields, no sign of any young or family parties.

Great-spotted Woodpeckers have raised 2 young and are occasionally on the feeders and bird bath during the day, the Green Woodpeckers on the other hand have raised 3 young and are regularly feeding on Ants on the lawns and paddocks around the cottage, they seem to favour the freshly cut lawns to feed on. A single juvenile Green Woodpecker is often found in our garden searching for food on our lawn which gave me the opportunity to film it while it fed.


Juvenile Green Woodpecker

One of the highlights of the month is certainly the regular sightings of both Little and Tawny Owls, the resident Little Owls have raised 2 young and can often been seen together in their favored perching places.They have often been sat out sunning themselves when the weathers been good, I watched all 4 or them sat in the orchard in the afternoon sun,the young were perched quietly whilst the adults searched for worms and beetles to feed them. They seem to be in and around the garden most nights often sat on the bird bath calling to each other.


Little Owl

Tawny Owls have been heard and seen over the last month on a regularly basis with calling birds being heard most nights in the area, one seems to favour the top of our cottage and is often "hooting" in the early hours. Mid-August brought a great view of a Tawny Owl hunting outside our cottage window late one evening, my girlfriend and I both watched as an adult Tawny perched quietly on the paddock fence searching for prey, it made 5 attempts to catch food from the long grass beneath it and was successful at least 3 times, the prey swallowed whole in one go leads me to believe they were probably voles rather than mice although both seem to be present in good numbers. It flew to each post in turn and remained transfixed searching the ground below, I continued watching it for at least 10 minutes with the aid of the outside light before it disappeared into the darkness. An hour later it could be heard calling from the trees nearby. Views like that are truly priceless and I was extremely lucky to film it from the front door without disturbing it.


Tawny Owl

A small Bat keeps doing flybys over the garden, At the beginning of August it was often flying while it was still light, I tried to film it but it's much too quick for me.

A Stoat was seen "dancing" around one of the gardens in mid-August but remains very elusive, I had a very brief view as one darted across the garden in October 2005 but didn't hold out much hope of seeing it again. That soon changed when I walked out to my car on Friday 24th and came face to face with a Stoat, it took both of us by surprise and we both froze checking each other out, it soon turned and headed off towards the orchard and I watched as he headed off into the long grass. My closest view previously being at Hambleden Lock when one ran out of the undergrowth next to the backwater and continued towards me, it stopped 10ft away sniffed the air then disappeared in to the undergrowth.

August Highlights

Badger

Stoat

Tawny Owl

Little Owl

Local Sightings.

Little Owl.
Red Kite.
Mistle Thrush.

Both Blue and Great Tits seem to have had good broods of young this year with both species visiting the feeders in good numbers, one family of Great Tits were busy feeding at least 8 young from the feeders in the garden.

2 Juvenile Great-spotted Woodpeckers have been in and out of the garden with both Adults feeding them from the peanut feeders although one of the young has learnt to feed from the seed feeders as well.

Tawny Owls have been quiet over the last few months with few sightings and not many calling either, although one appeared outside in the conifer trees late one windy night which i managed to film for a few minutes before it disappeared in to the darkness.Little Owl sightings on the other hand have been numerous, 2 Adults near Frieth are usually perched sunning themselves most evenings and our resident Little Owls seemed to have been busy, often heard calling during the day and found sunning themselves early evening on nearby fence posts. One of the adults has been calling non stop from our garden late at night and it took me awhile to cotton on why,I'd seen it perched on the bird bath a number of times and presumed it was taking a quick drink and calling to it's mate, it continued for a number of nights and it wasn't until i turned the outside light on late one evening that i realised what was going on, A young Little Owl was sat staring in at me from the garden and one of it's parents were calling to it from the other side of the garden.Over the next few days i had a few brief views but tonight(20th) i tracked down the calls of 2 young Little Owls perched in an Oak tree with a parent close-by.

The male Sparrowhawk is still making sorties through the garden and a both Red Kite and Buzzards are busy searching the fields for prey.

The Jackdaws also seem to have had a good year with at least 12 juveniles being seen in and around the garden, a pair nested at the bottom of a trunk in an Apple tree and early morning counts have totalled 42 Jackdaws feeding in the garden.The adult birds have taken to using our nut feeders to feed their young and after moving on the Woodpeckers and Tits bash the feeders with their strong beaks until they get something out.I've had to remove the nut feeders due to them breaking through the metal.The flock seems to be increasing with somewhere in the region of 75 birds.

Mistle Thrush is another species that looks like it's doing well here with a family party of 7 birds feeding in the fields next to our cottage, their rattling calls can often be heard across the nearby countryside .

The first Fox sighting in the garden came 2 weeks ago as an adult passed along the fence line no doubt looking for one of the many Rabbits that feed through the fields.Deer have been passing through the garden and out across the fields including a Doe and her very young Fawn.

Theale, Berks. 18th April 2007.

Willow Warbler.

Young Robin.

Little Owl.

An afternoon visit to Theale, Berks today started off with a stop off at Burnthouse Lane, as i parked up i soon could hear the song of Lesser Whitethroat and after waiting 15 minutes finally got a quick view before it disappeared into the brambles again. Not much on the pits, a few Pied Wagtails and a small number of common ducks.

At Theale main pit a pair of Blackcaps were moving through the bushes by the gate and it didn't take long before i heard a Chiffchaff calling from the scrub near the pylon. As i approached i soon heard a number of Blackcaps calling followed by the Chiffchaff and finally a Willow Warbler perked up and joined the melee of Warbler song filling the air. As i waited for something to show itself the alarm calls of Lesser Whitethroat could be heard coming from the bramble thickets, the Willow Warbler continued to sing for at least half an hour above me and was perched in a tree by the pylon, i decided to take advantage by taking a few photos. Warblers are very rarely still and difficult to digiscope at the best of times.

Across the road at Hosehill LNR at least 2 Sedge Warblers were singing from the reeds, my first of the year. Another pair of Blackaps were moving through the bushes by the horse paddock, a single Mistle Thrush and 2 Pied Wagtails were feeding in the Paddock. A few Black-headed Gulls were squabbling amongst themselves on the raft with a small number of Cormorants looking on.

Driving home through Skirmett 2 Swallows were sat on the lines near to where they have nested before, and later 2 were feeding across the fields next to our cottage. A quick walk round the garden early evening, 3 Red Kites sat in one of the adjacent fields, presumably eating worms on the newly ploughed field, 2 Buzzards circling above, a single Red-legged Partridge wandered through the garden and off into the fields. A pair of Jackdaws have nested in the bottom of an Apple tree in the orchard and seem to be adding material to their nest. While watching the Jackdaws i could hear the calls of a number of young birds from the hedge and after a couple of minutes 2 Robin fledglings showed themselves, it wasn't long before the parents turned up with a beak full of food and led them along the hedge and out of sight. Seems a bit early to me but there seems to be plenty of food about. I could hear a Great Tit sending out a alarm call and made my way towards it, it was sat near the entrance to a nest box that it is currently occupying and was obviously very agitated, as i moved closer i soon found the source of the problem, the resident Little Owl was sat in the tree next to the nest box and obviously the Great Tit wasn't happy. The Owl finally got the message and moved along to a fence post and continued to watch the fields, it's been sat outside our cottage on the fence posts for the last week and seems to be taking food from the ploughed fields,Perhaps Worms, Beetles and other insects. A single Goldcrest has been feeding in the evergreen trees by the garden for the last few days and Wednesday morning brought an unusual flyover, 8:45am 2 Ring-necked Parakeets flew over heading towards Hambleden, their noisy calls could be heard well before they actually passed over. I have seen them recently as close as Bovingdon Green, Bucks, but have never seen or heard them this far out in the country, especially without large areas of water.

Added To My Year List.

127. Swallow

128. Lesser Whitethroat

129. Sedge Warbler