A parliament of owls

We’ve had a good hoard of owls recently. A Short-eared drifted along the dunes doing its moth like flight impression. A Little Owl popped out of a tree from absolutely nowhere and stared us out with a pair of eyes that would pierce metal and a Tawny Owl was resting in the sun just soaking it all up as only Tawny Owls can. It was the Barn Owls however that just kept on coming that amazed us. Every time we’ve been out lately Barn Owls have popped up in front of us. I guess they have been prevented from hunting with all the rain and wind of late; hunger pushing them out into daylight hours when the weather has been anything like decent. Travelling along the coast the other day we had six. Included in the six, in failing light, was the renowned Barn Owl that hunts the marshes near Cley. The so named ‘Casper’ is a bird lacking in pigment. He really does look very ghost-like; albeit a friendly ghost.

 

Evening hunter

We met an interesting chap from Devon last week. As we were chatting a Barn Owl started to hunt the saltmarsh in the late afternoon sunshine. As we watched it came nearer. Eventually close enough for a shot or two.

Barnie …

Chatting to a few people the other week when a Barn Owl decided to fly by then hop from fence post to fence post. The conversation stopped and we all watched the owl. Not many tire of owls.

 

Barnie’s Back

With one thing and another I seem to have been constantly on the phone of late. Bookings for hotels, bookings for tours etc … etc

It’s strange isn’t it, when I’m on the mobile I tend to stand up and I have a habit of walking around for no apparent reason. Maybe it helps me think. Anyways, I was ambling from foot to foot in the dining room here at Falcon Cottage the other day deep in a conversation when something moved at the top of the garden. It was dusk so light wasn’t good. I tried to ignore it for the sake of fluency but I couldn’t. The call ended and I was able to grab my camera to get a shot of this little beauty sat on the back fence. A bit grainy given the low winter evening light but still nice to see.

Six species of owl have graced the garden since Sharon and I have been here. We only need Snowy to complete the list … The sixth? Oh! That’s Teet Owl … plenty of those in the kitchen. ;0)

A done deal with a Gloss finish

Sometimes I get asked by people to put a name to a bird they have seen … not always as easy as it seems. The other day however it was a done deal. As I picked up my guests in some very foggy weather for their tour on Tuesday they stated that earlier in their holiday they had seen a bird  feeding in the pasture opposite their cottage which they couldn’t identify. After a brief description it became apparent what they had seen. Something that was like a large dark Curlew but wasn’t in their British Bird book led me to proclaim Philippa and Robert had seen a Glossy Ibis. One had been seen in flight nearby over Martham on a couple of occasions earlier in the week.

I received a text the following day from Philippa to say two Glossy Ibis were now feeding in the field opposite their cottage. Today we called in to see the duo and they were showing very well indeed. I would suspect given their size difference they were a pair. The males are generally larger than females.

Nice to see … plus the ringtail Hen Harrier, six Marsh Harriers, two Green Sandpipers and a Barn Owl at the same site.

A Brush with a Barnie

I was doing some survey work last week down on the Waveney when a Barn Owl came so close it almost brushed me with its wings. I don’t know who was more surprised … it or me!

It was certainly too close to miss the photo opportunity.

The snow cover is making hunting for raptors and owls more difficult. This particular Barn Owl had to hunt during the day as well as at night to get enough sustenance.

Wet nights

As we drove twixt two places in North East Norfolk last week we came across a rather confiding midday Barn Owl.

He was hunting a small patch of rough ground aside the road. No doubt the wet preceding few nights meant he was forced to hunt during the day to catch enough food. Woes betide the Barn Owl that ventures out into the rain. Their feathers are designed to be quiet; waterproofing takes a back seat.