Despite this, it was busy, with a lot of people seeking out the short-eared owls which have taken up residency and unlike most owls, they hunt in daylight.
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The owls were easy to see, all you have to do is look in the same direction as a group of birders:
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With it being autumn, the stars of the show are the starlings and this is what a lot of people have come to see, and once again, they put on a breathtaking display, which just can't be captured by a photograph from a compact camera:
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The Otmoor birding blog (http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/OtmoorBirding/) not only has considerably better photographs of the owls, but is an excellent guide to what can be seen at the reserve and I hope to return soon, armed with my DSLR.
Short-eared Owls are one of the coolest and spookiest bigs, with that strange moth-like wingbeat. And you've taught me to appreciate starlings, though the problem on this side of the pond is their abundance not rarity.
ReplyDeleteHi Anne,
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Short-eared owls before and I agree, watching they are very cool and spooky and I hope to get back to watch them soon.
With a lot of introduced species, there isn't much we can do about it, so perhaps we should try to appreciate them.
Richard