The Post • Bird Watching WITH JOHN ASHTON
Our visiting winter migrants have packed up and headed back north. Consequently, Eric the fag-filcher’s regular info has been a bit sparse, apart from several sightings of a Barn Owl on the local marsh. BARN OWLS emerge in
the twilight as well as at night when we hear their shrill, eerie screeches. They cruise and hover just above the ground using their incredible hearing, rather than eyesight to detect prey. Experiments have shown that in a darkened room a captive bird will ignore a stationary mouse but the slightest rustle will result in it being pounced on with unerring accuracy. Rats, mice and shrews make up 90% of the diet and an interesting statistic is that in its lifetime this owl can scoff 11,000 mice which could have consumed 13 tons of crops. That’s got to be good for farmers! In daylight you
Short eared owl © Peter-Trimming
might be lucky enough to spot a LITTLE OWL pretending to be part of a fence- post, while keeping its eyes peeled for insects, small
Binoculars Barn Owl © Christine Matthews Bird watching in association with
mammals and worms. Their Latin name “Athene”, the Greek Goddess of wisdom, is a nod to the legend of owls being wise. Folklore concerning owls is wreathed in propitious and evil connotations. The SHORT-EARED OWL nests on the ground and is a daylight hunter, flying low over rough ground and marshes using sight and hearing to locate its prey. We see them regularly at Thurlestone and Prawle. Voles make up 65% of their diet so populations depend on the numbers of voles available. The TAWNy OWL is our most
Little Owl © Peter-Trimming
common owl and is a night hunter which drops onto prey from a favourite perch. During daylight they try to conceal
themselves in trees where they are frequently harassed by small birds who will “mob” the hapless, yet seemingly unconcerned owl. The Tawny is heard more often than seen and the melancholy hooting can be emulated by blowing through your cupped hands. I regularly have a conversation with one outside the local pub!
Binoculars, Scopes & Astronomical Telescopes Tel: (01548) 856757
www.king-print.co.uk TOP of the TOWN, Fore Street, Kingsbridge, Devon. TQ7 1PP
Scopes
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Tawny Owl © Ian-Paterson
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