The long eared owls are back!!!
Two years ago we had 5 of these amazing owls roosting on the reserve which was fantastic to see, I'd never seen a long eared owl before so to see 5 of them together was something I'll never forget. They were in the same place every day for almost 3 months and proved very popular with our visitors. Last year, however, only one was seen and it was roosting in a different location.
But a few weeks ago we had our first sightings of them roosting in the same spot as the first year, over the past few days we've had daily sightings of at least 4 long eared owls and people are able to get stunning views of these birds without disturbing them.
Long eared owls are usually very secretive birds, so to see them roosting during the day in such an open space is a rarity. We're not entirely sure if these are the original birds from the previous year but two of them have similar markings so it's a possibility.
If anyone wants to know the exact location of the owls then come and see us in the visitor centre! If you are planning on a trip to see them then please stick to the footpaths to avoid disturbing the birds, especially in this weather- they need to save thier energy!