Little owl 'family'

Beautiful photos and a lovely story. That's just earned you a full complement of stars from me! I occasionally hear an owl here but I have no idea what type as I haven't been able to see it yet and I am not terribly well genned up on owl calls / hoots.

Marjus, they are lovely photographs. They must have been difficult to spot as the owls' colouring blends so well with the grey brick. Usually I can hear them but very rarely spot them.

Wow! Thank you Squirrel!

I use the RSPB's bird calls feature on the site if I'm not sure! They're very helpful!! Just press play top right of the page! Here are the 3 more 'common' ones!

Little owl: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/l/littleowl/index.asp

Tawny owl: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/t/tawnyowl/index.asp

Barn owl: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/barnowl/index.asp

Thanks John! Hadn'd realised that they were absent up there! I too am always so pleased when I see these!!

Thanks MarJus! Of those three, it has to be the Tawny as the call I hear has no high-pitched or screeching - just the call that everyone imitates through cupped hands i.e. the bog-standard twit twoo call. I'm rather pleased about that. All (!) I need to do now is find him / her.

Glad to help Squirrel! Good luck!

Thanks Brenda! :-)

Hi MarJus

Stunning pictures of the Little Owls. 

They have that look of 'who are you, and what are you doing' in your pictures.  A very curious look indeed.  They really match their background very well with their colouration.

Like you John, I am from (Scotland) Edinburgh (as you may know already), and I have never been lucky to see a Little Owl in Scotland at all.  Must be the warmer climate in England perhaps.  Still love to see one to this day.

I have heard of people saying that Little Owls can be quite noisy at 4am if they decide to sit on the roof of your house,  They are all mouth and no trousers.  A friend told me on Monday that they knew of a Little Owl and another larger Owl where taken together for a meeting.  The Little Owl spent all of it's time trying to peck at the larger Owl - so I think the Little Owl is an Owl with attitude LOL.

Squirrel: It takes time to get tuned into the Owl's calls.  We had Tawnies close to us at our last house.  I only just discovered myself that they have 2 really different sounding calls - one a twit twoo and another a type of screeching call, and the female does a softer call too.  I understand that it is the female that does the screech over the male with Twit twoo.  Then again I have been told that both the male and female make the two seperate calls. Love to iunderstand more about the calls too.

MarJus: Thank you for the links. {thumbs up}

I heard a Scops Owl in Menorca this year, they have the weirdest call sounding like they are caling one note 'WOOOO' echoing and resounding from the buildings in the area as they do - so it vibrates - all in one single note.  Quite creepy to listen too. {eek}.  Funnily they are a small Owl too.

So it seems the smaller the Owl the louder the call. {smile}

Regards

Kathy and Dave

As ever MarJus fantastic photos! 

I spotted one once very briefly perched on the edge of the nextdoor neighbours garage roof (visible from our patio doors) Unfortunately I couldn't hear if it called as the doors were closed.  It was quite dark outside but the light from inside helped me spot it just by chance.  I could see it was an owl but didn't know what until I looked it up.  I remember exclaiming excitedly to my OH that I've just seen a Little Owl.  To which he replied  "Really! do you know what breed it is?"  Just like an Abbott & Costello film, the following question and answer session between us lasted longer than it should have done!

If only our eyes were cameras!

Thanks Blackbird!

Thansk Kezmo!! Lol! I've had these conversations before too regarding the 'little owl'.

Hi Marjus

What a great post with wonderful pictures.  Brilliant looking owls and a great story to accompany. 

Paul