Owls
I always enjoy my very early morning walks on Brayton Barff just before the sun starts to rise over the horizon. The eerie familiar sound of the Tawny Owl often breaks the silence through the gloom, as it resonates through the trees. Occasionally I will see a Little Owl sitting motionless on a telegraph pole or on an old Oak tree close to the Old Pump house in the early morning light. We have had resident Tawny owls on Brayton Barff for many years now and occasionally the Little Owl. Unfortunately, I have to drive up into the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors to see and photograph the Eagle Owl and Long Eared Owls, and the Swinton Estate near Masham to see the Barn Owls and Eagle Owls.
The UK is home to only five resident owl species, each with its own unique traits and habitat preferences. the Barn Owl, the Tawny Owl, the Short-Eared Owl, and the Long- Eared Owl, are all true natives to this country. The Little Owl which I mentioned earlier, although quite common around our countryside is a continental addition. The Eagle Owl is quite rare to see around the county with small pockets of escapees breeding successfully, questions are currently being asked about a native status for them also. Rarer still is the Snowy Owl which is not native to the UK, they spend most of the year up north living in the Artic Tundra. Today they are classed as a rare winter visitor to the Shetland Isle, The Outer Hebrides, and the Cairngorms.
Owls are largely active during the twilight hours be it first thing in the morning and just as dusk starts to fall in the evening. They have exceptional hearing and good vision which they use to great effect whilst hunting in low light conditions, and their ability to fly silently when hunting, as well as their talons and a very sharp beak makes them highly effective predators, ensuring their place at the top of the food chain in many ecosystems.
Most of our native owls are quite dark in colour with camouflaged or ‘cryptic’ plumage as the images below will show. Their feathers are softer than other birds’ and many owls are quite downy, which helps them fly without making much noise.
Owls are carnivorous birds. The larger ones generally eat small mammals, including mice, voles, and small birds, whilst the smaller ones eat invertebrates, such as worms and slugs.
All the owls in my portfolio have been filmed mainly in North Yorkshire on Brayton Barff, RSPB Fairburn Ings, the Swinton Estate, and Wensleydale.
Please click on the image below to expand that gallery.
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