Why Owls Hoot Loudest at Halloween

Halloween Hooters

We have now 5 species of owl residing in mainland Britain, however at the moment of yr you could possibly be forgiven for considering there is just one. Tawny owls make extra noise than the opposite 4 species put collectively throughout October and November. And all this additional shrieking, hooting and ‘kee-wick’- ing is down to 1 factor: territory. Younger birds are reaching maturity and on the lookout for new properties whereas older birds are preventing to carry on to their patch.

Time to go away residence

Ordinarily, grownup tawny owls are devoted mother and father. They spend a lot of the summer time months rearing, feeding and nurturing. This care even continues for weeks after the younger have fledged. However in autumn there’s a brutal change. The devotion turns to aggression and the grownup birds spherical on their once-beloved younger with sudden malice. They shriek at them, fly at them and chase them out of their territory.

A brutal change in behaviour

I’ve seen one juvenile so badly battered he had cuts from his face to his toes. The gorgeous tawny owl mannequin in my portray above was a sufferer of simply such a viscous assault. I used to be very disenchanted after I noticed him someday along with his eye so badly broken.  And, as if this isn’t sufficient, the younger owls are then pushed from one owl’s area to a different throughout their seek for a spot to arrange residence. Even when these younger male owls hoot to try to entice a mate, they find yourself alerting grownup owls to their presence and get quick shrift for daring to encroach on established territory.

All about tawny owls

A while in the past, as a way to examine these secretive birds shut up for an image I used to be planning for my winter exhibition, I put a nest field up in a line of sycamore bushes about 90 yards from my residence and gallery in Thixendale, North Yorkshire. The field was taken up nearly instantly by a good-looking pair. Initially woodland birds, tawny owls have adopted new and extra open habitat, usually muscling in on the standard haunts of the barn owl. Tawny owls are extraordinarily versatile hunters, which is why they’re so profitable. Britain is residence to round 100,000 pairs. Their weight loss program largely consists of small mammals like wooden mice, however they’ll eat nearly something they’ll catch. Birds, frogs, fish, worms, massive bugs and small rabbits are all on the menu. They’ll even scavenge highway kill.

Owls at my chook desk

I made a decision to make the most of this latter behavior and commenced to place mice and road-kill pheasant on my chook desk at evening. Extra conventional seed mixes have been nonetheless out there for my widespread backyard birds by day. The ploy proved extra profitable than I had anticipated. In addition to attracting the tawny owl couple, I’ve additionally attracted kestrels and barn owls. These birds of prey now feed simply 9 metres from my kitchen window, which makes photographing them a lot simpler.

I’m used to watching my wildlife topics cramped in a conceal, midway up a tree, within the freezing chilly. However now I can examine these birds from the consolation of my kitchen – though my spouse used to complain that the home was a bit on the chilly facet as I usually used to maintain the window open a lot of the evening in order that I may {photograph} them. I’ve since constructed a conceal nearer to the desk – and even a tunnel to succeed in the conceal in order that I can go immediately from my front room to the conceal with out alerting the birds to my presence.

I’ve additionally put in infrared sensors that beep to announce the arrival of a customer. And the birds don’t appear to thoughts a 500w safety mild that I rigged up with a dimmer swap in order that I can see them higher at evening. Illuminated, it’s fascinating to look at the owls interacting with one another. And lately the tawny owls are so used to me I can truly stand up fairly shut.

Barn owls take cost

Unusually, the primary yr I watched it was the barn owl that appeared to be in cost at my chook desk. It’s a a lot smaller chook and is outnumbered at my chook desk two to 1. I’ve seen tawny owls attacking barn owls earlier than. However this Yorkshire Wolds barn owl have to be harder than the lowland birds I’ve watched. Lately I switched on the sunshine to see the tawny owl pair sharing a publish preening each other. This tenderness is one thing I’d by no means earlier than witnessed. Usually the feminine is snatching the male’s meals from him although there’s lots for each of them. Sensibly, he all the time offers manner, though not with out an indignant hoot and a screech.

Night time sounds

My new ‘chook of prey feeding station’ is now a key a part of the tawny owls’ territory and so they defend it fiercely from others. Actually this chook desk is now properly established and I’m usually woken at the moment of yr with violent fights on our rooftop. It makes me really feel a bit sorry for the younger interlopers who’re solely making an attempt to make their very own manner in life. However I don’t count on they stand an opportunity in opposition to this well-bonded pair. On nonetheless, frosty nights, the male’s hoots ring out down the valley and are sometimes answered by neighbouring owls and interrupted by the bark of a fox or the eerie screech of a barn owl. Scroll right down to see all my work of tawny owls. For extra info and costs click on on the photographs.