A SUMMARY OF THIS YEARS BARN OWL MONITORING, AND A GLIIMER OF HOPE AS TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED, MAYBE.????

Having had a telephone conversation with Christine, one of the BTO ringers on the evening of the 12th of October I decided to look back through my previous years images  and look at the male  and female Barn Owl images, having scoured through many thousand images  my thoughts for this years original birds, the Resident Male and  female is they are the same pair as last year, that produced the five young Owlets, as to the other two Males, as Christine remarked , neither are ringed, so they are not family, or from previous  years as we have had the birds ringed for a considerable number of years, its all part of the  B T O license , so after all this time I have at last come up with whet appears to be a reasonable theory  and images to back it up.  So the Interlopers are a complete mystery but have been accepted by the Resident birds. "As they say look at the obvious, it does not always bite you."

I must admit these birds have been a godsend this year and kept me in the area of the house and out of harms way, they are not the easiest subject to get top quality images from but an absolute delight to observe. We soon will have the arrival of the Short eared Owls, some are already showing close by , and they are about in the light which is a bonus.

It has been a most enjoyable and eventful season and I hope you likewise have enjoyed the posts with the goings on of these delightful Owls.

I have just received an e mail from the BTO regarding my schedule 1  license  for next year, so I have to go through the whole season again for them and report no Owlets, just four Barn Owls in residence.

Resident Female Small Box. 2020.

The pair initially roosted in the small box, this being the box they bred in last year, they then moved into the large box, she obviously wanted more space.

Resident Male, Large Box.

Both the Male and female were first seen on the 3rd of May  2020, but both were in the small box. We would normally expect to see them earlier , perhaps not early enough to breed!. this image 28th July at 22.17 hrs.

Female Barn Owl, front of Small Box 2019.

Resident Male 2020, Large Box.

This image shows the Eye staining and the pink above his beak. This image taken 26 th September at 19.04 hrs.

Resident Male Large box 2019.

Unfortunately I did not have the camera or lens last year I am currently using, therefore I did not have the ISO's available I have used this year.

Resident Male again 2019. Shows better the eye staining and pink above beak.

Resident Male leaving large box, 2019. the female was in the small box looking after the Owlets, whilst  he takes refuge away from the young in the daylight hours.

 Resident Ma2019, on front of Large Box, dark image, I didn't have the ISO available at that time. 

Interloper 2 Large Box 2020.

First seen leaving small box on the 9 th of September, the above is when he had moved into the large box on the 18 th September at  1932 hrs.

Resident Male, Large box.

Having a real good shake after a visit onto his post. 18 th June, 21.30 hrs.

Interloper 2, Large Box.

Full round eyes and very little eye staining. 17 th  September . 20.31 hrs.

Interloper 1, Large Box.

Not round eyes, my good friend Brian on the Isle of Man says he's of Oriental  stock. 5 th September 20.59 hrs.

Resident Male 15th June 21.25 hrs.

Resident Male.

A lovely Summers evening so having a bit of a snooze. 15th June 21.35 hrs.

Resident Male returning into box with a mouse for the female.30th June 21.20 hrs.

Interloper 1, Large box.

Again not full eyes and small amount of staining. 19 th of September 19.30 hrs.

Resident Male Large box, Favourate Post.

He throughout the monitoring spent a considerable time on this post  and on top of my compost bin,8th June 21.00 hrs.

Resident Male just about to be away hunting.8 th June 21.06 hrs.

Resident Male, Large box, 30th May, 21.02 hrs.

Resident Male leaving large box after returning with a mouse , 20th June.21.40 hrs.

Resident Male flying up onto his favorite post. 24 th June. 21.40 hrs.

Resident Male on his favorite post monitoring me monitoring him. 20 th June,21.40 hrs.

Resident Male  on his favorite post, the first time he saw Interloper 1 having departed the small box and flew past the large box  and into view only to return after a few minutes and enter the large box. 20 th June . 21.09 hrs.

Having seen the Male enter his box, he flew down and went into the box, I rushed from the hide to the box expecting the males to fight but all remained peaceful so after a short time I returned into the hide.

Only to exit again after a reasonable time he re appeared to go hunting, didn't appear to have a care in the world. 20th June, 21.40 hrs.
We still from what I can see have all four Owls, it would be good to keep the all Winter if possible.

Resident Male having a shake on the front of the large box prior to going onto the post on the opposite side of the box., 15 th August 20.39 hrs.

Resident Male on the opposite  post to normal, a change is as good as a rest. 15 th August 20.41 hrs.

Interloper 1 leaving Large Box. 15 th August 22.02 hrs.

Resident Male entering Large Box with a mouse, and folding his wings to enter.18 th August, 230.31 hrs.

Resident Male checking to see if I am in the hide, monitoring in reverse. 18 th August , 20.40 hrs.

Resident on the platform prior to visiting his post,18 th August, 2042 hrs.

Resident Male just before flying but showing his back markings well, 18 th August, 20.43 hrs.

On his post and has me spotted but not bothered at all, both of us at peace with the world.18 th August, 20.44 hrs.

Tawny Owl having spent the daylight hours in the Small Box. 15 th September. 20.25 hrs. Fortunately we never saw the bird again, I'm sure we would have lost the Barn Owls.

Resident Male just about to leave for the nights hunting, 3 rd September ,20.00 hrs

My monitoring has finished for this year, more so than ever before this has been an exceptional year and I have been so fortunate in being able to observe  the  happenings of these birds, thank you to all have also watched and commented, having had a quick add up since I commenced posting my monitoring, I have had in excess of 13,000 hits, again a big thank you to you all.





A QUICK VISIT TO EYEBROOK RESERVOIR,


My idea was for a quick visit for my lunch , see what was about and then a visit to the Red Kites to see if they were being fed any earlier, having had a quick drive round the reservoir I set to on my lunch watching to see what  if anything turned up.

Kestrel, Opposite Stoke Dry.

Whist having my packed lunch this bird appeared and flew past, fortunately it turned about so I managed some side on images.

After turning about I managed these two images, hand holding my heavy kit.

they really are a delightful little bird to watch hovering.

On my way round I spotted these two Little Egrets in this Willow Tree.

A VISIT WITH THE RED KITES.

I then had a drive to the village where I see the Red Kites and they did not let me down, not in the numbers I have seen previously as the gent is still feeding them later but with the changing of the clocks he is going to revert back to his 15.00 hrs feeding.

Red Kite over feeding field.

They are such entertaining birds to observe, with all the diving, chasing and whilst I watched them calling.

Thank you for your visit, I hope you have  enjoyed it as much as I did in the getting of the images.

It has been an exceptional season with the Barn Owls which for me has been a real highlight, having had Barn Owls on our land since 2001 we have never experienced anything like it previously, lets hope its a one off aand we can return to normality next year with both the Owls and this awful virus.

I WAS HOPING FOR ANOTHER BIRD BUT HEY HO.

We  still have the four birds mainly roosting in the Large box , I have been out monitoring most nights until the last three,this due to very heavy rain, so the birds have been able to exist in peace, however as they will not feed in the rain being soft feathered, I was getting concerned as to whether they were managing to get out to feed at all, however we are still finding pellets so all is well. A friend Kate comes with her dogs having done our weekly shopping bless her,{ She trains Guide dogs} she brings Ralph a Golden Retriever, Keller and Gromit both Golden Labradors and this week she had gained an extra dog in Orchid a Black Labrador.Its so good to see them having a good run about plus they enjoy the bonus of plums,  blackberries and raspberries we grow, bless them they help themselves and we have been expecting them to get the runs but so far all has been good.

Ralph is an ace at finding Owl pellets and very proudly bring them to us from, all over the land.

 However back to the Barn Owls. I have at last managed  some reasonable images of both the Interlopers, so lets look at some images.

My feeling is with he darker evenings and the heavy rain we have recently encountered, my  monitoring days are dwindling and unfortunately this other than the odd very long distance shots  may be the end for this year.

Male Barn Owl, Interloper 2.

Leaving the Large box but getting very dark, ISO100200 1/50 second, he has round eyes but not the staining around the eyes as is the Resident male, also not so pink around around the beak as the Resident.

Resident male, Large box.

Here returning into the box wioth a mouse for her indoors, I have yet to catch him on the fron tof the box with a mouse, it all happens so quick.

Resident Male, Large box.

Just about to leave on a hunting trip, not seen again this night , feeding himself. This male has heavy staining to the eyes and is pinker around his beak.

Interloper 1, Large box,

Not such full eyes and small amount of staining to his eyes. Reasonably dark, ISI125600 1/80 second.

Interloper 2, Large box.

Leaving the Large box, very dark. ISO 125600. 1/30 second. All the birds mostly roost in the large box, obviously in harmony.

Resident Male, Large box.

Staining to his eyes, pink around beak.

Outon the front of the Large box prior to hunting on a windy evening.

Just about to leave the box having just returned with a mouse.

Interloper 1, Large box.

Not such full eyes and slight amount of staining to eye.

Interloper 2, Large box.

This male tends to go hunting to the left, whereas the other two go to the right. Very dark, ISO 125600 1/30 second.

Interloper 2, Small box.

The only evening I have seen any bird leave this box , very late and no light, not sure as to what he is carrying.

Interloper 2. Large box.

Lack of eye staining and round eyes.

Interloper 1, Large box.

Not full round eye and little pink around beak.

Resident Male, Large box.

 Just before flying up onto his favourite post.

 

 

He then after a minute or two was away hunting.

A QUICK VISIT TO SWITHLAND RESERVOIR.

I decided as we had a sunny afternoon to have a quick visit out , keeping well away from people so I went to Swithland, to be truthful not much was about, but it was good to be out and about and what I did see was worth the visit.

Little Egret. 

As the reservoir is very low this bird stood  on the slope to the overflow about 60 metres away.

A second bird stood a little farther away, still to the front of the overflow but the weeds appear to have grown.

Mallard Drake.

In my opinion our must underrated duck.

Great Crested Grebe.

Swimming close to the draw down Tower but unfortunately into the sun.

One of this years young that has really got the hang of this fishing game.








A VISIT TO EYEBROOK RESERVOIR.

I once again had a visit to Eyebrook, not many people are about so no Covid worries and as always the birds are a bonus.

Black Headed Gull.

These birds were feeding in a field close by the reservoir.

Red Kite.

Then some Red Kites arrived. wonderful bird to watch in flight.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit as much as I have in the getting of the images,