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Science/nature/environment

I keep hearing an owl in the day

(111 Posts)
JaneJudge Thu 26-Aug-21 12:04:48

I'm sure it must be sitting on my chimney but every time I go out the chimney pots are clear. Is it normal for them to be out this time of day?

GrAnne2 Mon 30-Aug-21 11:41:56

Again, most likely a wood pigeon?

Ali08 Mon 30-Aug-21 11:25:39

We've got wood pigeons here, noisy little things never shut up!
Also foxes, they've tunnelled into our back yard. Gorgeous.
Ordinary pigeons and seabirds (we're just a few yards from the beach) and they've roosted and STINK - thank heavens someone has bought that old building and us renovating it now, even gone in with masks and hazmat suits because of all the bird poop in there!!!
I love owls, but only really see them when visiting relatives in Stowmarket, up on the edge of town!

JaneJudge Mon 30-Aug-21 11:19:31

Gabrielle56

JaneJudge

I'm sure it must be sitting on my chimney but every time I go out the chimney pots are clear. Is it normal for them to be out this time of day?

Remember tale of guy in Devon who heard female owl one evening so decided to respond to her to see if she would? Success! Every evening he communed with this lady owl..... In pub he overheard neighbour telling tale of male owl he was communing with every evening....yep! It was /they were/ Hil-ar-i-ous!!!!!!?

That is so funny grin grin grin

and Monica your French owls sound sweet smile
to have some at
Fanny have you ever seen a stork? They are absolutely massive! We watched them is a birds of prey show and they run around like nobodies business

Annaram1 Mon 30-Aug-21 11:07:11

Here in east Devon I often here an owl in the day time, usually mid-afternoon. Once in Spain I saw an owl sitting on a wall being shrieked at by a magpie. It looked very sleepy. I chased the magpie away but no doubt it returned as soon as I was out of sight.

FannyCornforth Mon 30-Aug-21 11:02:10

I hadn’t heard that story Gabrielle smile

Gabrielle56 Mon 30-Aug-21 10:58:54

JaneJudge

I'm sure it must be sitting on my chimney but every time I go out the chimney pots are clear. Is it normal for them to be out this time of day?

Remember tale of guy in Devon who heard female owl one evening so decided to respond to her to see if she would? Success! Every evening he communed with this lady owl..... In pub he overheard neighbour telling tale of male owl he was communing with every evening....yep! It was /they were/ Hil-ar-i-ous!!!!!!?

nanna8 Mon 30-Aug-21 09:52:43

Not sure if it has been mentioned but does anyone remember the book
“I heard the owl call my name”by Margaret Craven? One of those books that stays with you.

FannyCornforth Mon 30-Aug-21 09:16:19

I recently became a little bit obsessed with these fellas after hearing about them on Radio 4’s ‘Tweet of the Day’.
It’s a Ugandan Spoonbill Stork

FannyCornforth Mon 30-Aug-21 09:11:48

travelsafar pterodactyls?

seacliff Mon 30-Aug-21 08:44:47

I love to see red kites, none around here sadly, seen loads near Reading when driving along.

We have a daily visit from a bad heron, I think he's eaten all the fish and is now catching newts. He stands there motionless for ages imitating a stand pipe, then suddenly lunges and gets one.

travelsafar Mon 30-Aug-21 08:33:29

I would love to see or even hear an owl. My claim to bird fame is that we have several huge red kites that circle over our houses on a frequent basis. We also get Heron sometimes, they go after the fish in my neighbours pond. They remind me of the prehistoric birds.... the name escapes me.... when they are flying.

FannyCornforth Mon 30-Aug-21 08:28:39

Chouette (fem) and hibou (masc) ! ♥️

FannyCornforth Mon 30-Aug-21 08:26:29

How lovely Monica
I am now going to have to look up the French for owl…

M0nica Mon 30-Aug-21 08:22:11

We are in our holiday home in Normany and here we have owls nesting in the stone walls of the house. It was built with what I assume was a few pigeon holes above the front door, the pigeons have long gone and been replaced by olws. the downside is that all the owl pellets pile up on the doorstep when we we aren't here.

Some years ago I was here on my own the night the fledglings made their first flights. Their first flight was from the nest to my bedroom window sill and then down to the courtyard wall. It was like helping children to ride without stabilisers or try to swim. Mother owl kept up a constant twitter of advice and encouragement while the owlets kept telling her how well they were doing and to watch them, the racket stopped me sleeping. First, I closed the window (the night was stiffling hot) and finally decamped to another bedroom.

We often hear them calling, and have another pair nesting in some outbuildings.

JaneJudge Sun 29-Aug-21 14:17:55

He also said the neighbour fell over drunk and had to be helped up grin

JaneJudge Sun 29-Aug-21 14:17:12

I went to bed early last night as my neighbours were having a party and I didn't want them to ask me to go round blush but my husband sat out in the garden until late and said there was one on the chimney calling to another and they were flying backwards and forwards and being noisier than the neighbours grin so no lonely owls smile

JaneJudge Sat 28-Aug-21 10:55:16

Grandma70s

I knew a tawny owl who lived in a tree on the central reservation of a busy dual carriageway. Strange choice.

I love that you knew the owl smile

JaneJudge Sat 28-Aug-21 10:54:40

They shoot and eat the muntjacs here too. The noise they make is like a bark. I don't know if I've shared this on Gransnet but my farm shop sells pigeon sausages shock and no, I've never tried them.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 28-Aug-21 10:07:59

Perhaps there was plenty of roadkill around Grandma? Easier than hunting. Fast food, sad though that is.

Grandma70s Sat 28-Aug-21 10:05:50

I knew a tawny owl who lived in a tree on the central reservation of a busy dual carriageway. Strange choice.

FannyCornforth Sat 28-Aug-21 09:53:36

Blossoming shock

Blossoming Sat 28-Aug-21 09:43:04

I ate a delicious venison stew made from muntjac once. We were staying in a country house near Oxford.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 28-Aug-21 09:36:52

Thank you Fanny, that was a lovely story. Your parents were very special people.

FannyCornforth Sat 28-Aug-21 09:36:42

Hello seacliff ?
Muntjacs, now that is special.

We’re lucky to have some hedgehogs living in our garden.
A few days ago a heard a distinct quacking coming from the laurels, and by sheer coincidence read something the same day, that hedgehogs do indeed quack ?

seacliff Sat 28-Aug-21 09:13:29

Lovely owl stories. I hear owls right outside my bedroom, but usually only in October and November. I didn't realise it was territory wars.

We also get muntjacs, they make weird noises, often mistaken for a fox.