Mumbles

[Dr.Al]

It's quite amazing what a mobile phone camera can do these days. With my phone held in my right hand, I managed to get this shot of a (captive-bred, obviously) Indian Eagle Owl just about to land on my left hand:



(the owl's called "Mumbles" in case you were wondering about the thread title).

A wonderful day out in North Nibley with Wren's Birds of Prey.

 

[Cabinetman]

Wow, what an incredible shot, and a hell of an experience.

 

[AndyP]

Gloves! Wimp.
Short eared owl on MrsP’s head a few years back.

 

[HdV]

Having been on the receiving end of an Eagle-Owl's talons (Oehoe as we call them), there's no way I would dare to call him a wimp. I had come too close to it's nest without realising it. It went into full attack mode to protect its off-spring. Who can blame it. Such impressive animals!

 

[AndyP]

Having been on the receiving end of an Eagle-Owl's talons (Oehoe as we call them), there's no way I would dare to call him a wimp. I had come too close to it's nest without realising it. It went into full attack mode to protect its off-spring. Who can blame it. Such impressive animals!

Of course. I am also sure that short eared owls talons can also do severe damage.

 

[Mike G]

That is an incredible photo, Al.

I think of all the eagle owls, the African Eagle Owl is the most spectacular. I was driving in Zambia a few years ago when the sky was blocked out by an African Eagle Owl flying over my vehicle before landing in a nearby tree. It was just a little smaller than a pterodactyl. If you can wait a while, I'll find the slide, scan it, digitally revive the faded colours, re-size it, and attach it here as a file*. Believe it or not, I then went around a corner and came across a Martial Eagle on stump just a few feet from the track.


*No, I won't.

 

[AJB Temple]

Love owls. Great Photo Al. We have Tawny and Little nesting here. Nowhere near as spectacular but still lovely.

 

[Dr.Al]

Love owls. Great Photo Al. We have Tawny and Little nesting here. Nowhere near as spectacular but still lovely.

We have both of them in the woods behind our house. I've seen a Tawny flying over once but never seen the Little Owl. We hear them both most nights.

Since you mentioned them, from the same place...

This is Rowan the Tawny Owl (sitting calmly on my arm looking very wise)



This is Ozzy the Little Owl (little owls are the origin of the wise old owl concept), sitting on my arm looking thoroughly disapproving:



My favourite owls are barn owls. I've seen them quartering the fields at the top of the hill in twilight before but it was nice to get to meet Guinevere close up (even if she did poo quite spectacularly all over my trousers!)

 

[AJB Temple]

I have tried for years to get barn owls to nest in boxes - first at the original farm and now here. No joy except one year - but Tawny owls nest readily. We see the Little Owl (whose name is Ned btw) most evenings from early evening towards twilight. He sits on a post up near the kitchen garden, and doesn't fly away even if my wife goes into the plot to harvest something. Ned lives in a dead tree very close to the main compost area, and the Tawny pair are in a dense mature Scots Pine, quite high up. The nest is in a hollow where are branch was presumably struck by lightning in the distant past. Needless to say the special owl nesting boxes made by one of our neighbours, are both ignored.

 

[Phil]

Needless to say the special owl nesting boxes made by one of our neighbours, are both ignored.

Our Fauna & Flora people also decided to erect a couple of boxes in the estate.
They were not impressed when I queried the cost and also when I asked if they had sent a whatsapp to the owls with a map of where the boxes are erected.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Our Fauna & Flora people also decided to erect a couple of boxes in the estate.
They were not impressed when I queried the cost and also when I asked if they had sent a whatsapp to the owls with a map of where the boxes are erected.

I've often wondered about this when I've seen them. Are they 'baited' with anything to draw the owls in? Just put in a location where owls have been seen to give them an option? Do owls naturally investigate them once erected?

Basically what I'm saying is, is it complete pot luck as to whether they will ever attract any interest from an owl or is there any science behind it?

 

[AJB Temple]

They are not baited - they just emulate tree hollows. They need to be in a dark area and near to likely quarry. When we lived at the farm in Capel I put a barn owl nesting box high up in an oak framed barn which had 4 stables, feed area, hay store, tack room etc. Eventually barn owls did nest in the barn, but ignored the nesting box and used a corner ledge.

At this place one of the owl nesting boxes in the orchard is high up in a large pine tree. It has been nested in last year but we never saw what was in it.

 

[Phil]

I've often wondered about this when I've seen them. Are they 'baited' with anything to draw the owls in? Just put in a location where owls have been seen to give them an option? Do owls naturally investigate them once erected?

Basically what I'm saying is, is it complete pot luck as to whether they will ever attract any interest from an owl or is there any science behind it?

"So many questions, so few answers."

Mark, these boxes are open sided, attracts a certain type of Owl. The estate next door has a closed box high on a pole, the bees decided to occupy.
Apparently the owl(s) like wide open spaces to catch food and then fly in direct to the box. There is farm land about 2km from us.
We do have owls in the vicinity which we hear some nights and also spotted one on the roof next door.

 

[TrimTheKing]

I'm just wondering whether one mounted at the apex of our bedroom gable, which has no security lights and faces out over two flat fields, with woodland to either side, might be a suitable and inviting location...

 

[AndyP]

good luck Mark.
I’ve has this little owl box on the north facing gable of my barn for maybe 7-8 years. Ideal location by all accounts. To date no joy