A short-eared owl was seen at Greylake on 1/4/2010 and reported on the SOS bulletin board by Sandra Padfield.  It had apparently been perching on a fence post and then flew off towards King's Sedgemoor Drain where it was later seen hunting over the reed beds between Greylake sluice and Greylake RSPB reserve.  Last year I spent many evenings looking for SEOs having seen reports of birds near Moorland and hadn't seen one.  I've also spent time at Aust Warth by the lower Severn Bridge watching for them and had yet to even see one.

With little expectation of success I went up to Greylake sluice on 2/4/2010 at the same time the bird had been seen the day before and was delighted to have a complete reversal of my luck.  Together with a small group of hardy birders, Rob Chace and I managed to spend about half an hour photographing this magnificent bird as it hunted over the land between the river and the RSPB reserve.  Although we noticed it dive on several occasions, we didn't see it connect with prey.  Interestingly, it didn't seem to attract the notice of the local corvids who frequently see off the kestrels that hunt on the same patch.  The kestrels were also nowhere to be seen.

Today I went back in much gloomier and wetter weather and found a larger group of birders and photographers watching the owl just sitting on a fairly open patch of ground looking wet and miserable.  It had been seen to fly across the field a little earlier but hadn't been seen hunting.  Fifteen minutes or so after I arrived it started walking around a little in a rather aimless seeming way. Unfortunately, it also seems a bit unsteady on its feet and stumbled two or three times while I was watching, having to put out a wing to stop itself keeling over.  The consensus of those present was that it looked unwell but I shall be out to watch for it tomorrow and keep my fingers crossed in the meantime.

SEO pics from 2/4/2010

SEO pics from 3/4/2010

Very sad news update 4/4/2010

I went up to Greylake sluice first thing this morning to check on the owl.  Unfortunately it was on it's back with some feathers missing and clearly dead.  Theories abound as to why it died but hunting next to such a busy road where the cars go by at such a pace didn't seem a good idea and it could have been hit by a vehicle.  I had watched it dive to the ground while hunting many times two days ago and never come up with anything so food may have been hard to come by.  The weather was cold and wet so its energy requirements may have been unseasonably high.  All these things may have contributed or it may have been something else altogether.