Overview

Family - Owls (Strigidae)

Short-eared owls are medium sized owls with mottled brown bodies, pale under-wings and yellow eyes. They are commonly seen hunting during the day. In winter, there is an influx of continental birds (from Scandinavia, Russia, Iceland) to northern, eastern, and parts of central southern England, especially around the coast. They are of European conservation concern and so are an Amber List species.

Comment

This owl was photographed on the Somerset Levels at Greylake RSPB reserve on 2/4/2010.  It was a first for me both in the sighting of it and the photographing and it was most obliging, coming too close to fit entirely in the viewfinder of my camera!

Rob Chace, a fellow photographer was with me this evening and got some great shots here.

Aller Moor SEOs, November 2011

We seem to have had quite an influx of short-eared owls this autumn with no fewer than 5 having been seen simultaneously on Aller Moor.  I was lucky enough to get a few shots over 2 afternoons, usually in poor light and not very close up.  I was delighted to capture the sparring behaviour of 2 of them in a rather distant shot. You can make out the lower owl raising its talons to the upper one.  This happened on and off accompanied by loud calling on both the afternoons I was there.