Day time owls

[Tony F Dordogne]

Over the past week or so, we've been hearing an owl during the day.  It's the proper hooooooo hoooooo ing sound that you hear at night so likely to be a Tawny.  Not seen it in flight yet but we live in a fairly wooded area and unlikely that we will.

Our valley is wonderful for bird life, binoculars and field guides always at the ready by the windows.  And yesterday saw a juvenile common buzzard, still in it's white plumage, looks like a hen harrier but way too big.

Not asking for identification, just wanted to tell people who may be interested.  Bored in winter here, don't think so, even this time of year there's plenty to see.

 

[Nicos]

Hi Tony!

There was a programme on tv last night about eagle owls which fly about

and hoot loudly during daylight hours! Sounds like that's what you've

got??

They are huge, and a protected species, eating mainly bunnies,hedgehogs and buzzards- depending on the locality.

They also like to live in areas with cliffs or quarries...

They'll be nesting soon too!

Lucky you if it is!!!

[chris pp]

You can hear an Eagle Owl on this link, just go down the page to "chant"

http://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/strigiformes/grand-duc.d.europe.html

Chris

[Hoddy]

I've just remembered that one of the times I've been at Les Milandes, the falconer said that Eagle Owls were breeding in the Dordogne. He wouldn't give the exact location, but it perhaps it's near you.

Hoddy

[Tony F Dordogne]

That's very interesting - I fleetingly saw what I thought was an eagle owl taking a small bunny a couple of weeks ago but when I looked it up in my bird books, thought that it may have been a juvenile buzzard apart from the fact that it was too big.

Many thanks for the replies guys useful to put in my birdy notes.