The Flaming Owl

The Majestic Short-eared Owl

The cool crisp evening air gently blows across your face, the frosty grass crunches beneath your feet as you walk along the track. You stop at the viewpoint and wait, soaking in the view, you can see for miles from here. The sun just starts to drop below the horizon on the gin clear sky. The light starts to fade and you see it, a Short,eared Owl, it comes gliding out from behind a hedge and starts to hunt, its burning yellow eyes scan the ground fro prey. A few moments later another appears from the other side of the field. They fly for a while and then they meet in the air, locking talons they fight in the air. The sight in spectacular, something that is truly memorable. Its for this reason that Short-eared Owls are one of my favourite birds. 

Short-eared Owl distribution
(Green = resident, yellow= summer,
blue = winter)

The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is one of the five owl species which breed widely in the U.K. We have the familiar Barn Owl (Tyto alba) and Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) as well as the elusive Long-eared Owl (Asio otus). The fifth species is the Little Owl (Athene noctua) which is actually a naturalised species introduced in the 19 century. At this point I feel I should point out that the 'ears' of the Short and Long eared Owls are in fact tufts of feather. The ‘flammeus’ in the scientific name means mean ‘flaming or the colour of fire’ in Latin.

In the U.K Short-eared Owls breed mainly in Northern England and Scotland. The highest densities of breeding pairs occur in areas of mixed rough grasslands and heather moors with a typical home range being around 200 hectares. The current breeding population is estimated to be between 620 and 2180 pairs, this is a wide range and reflects the lack of knowledge we have about this species. Breeding occurs from March to June. The clutch will consist of 5 –7 eggs and incubation takes around 21 - 37 days. Birds fledge after about 4 weeks. When nesting the adults have been observed feigning injury to lure predators always from the vulnerable ground nest.

Aerial Combat

In winter Short-eared Owls can be found much more widely, and area of open rough grassland can potentially hold them; areas such as old airfields and salt marshes are perfect. They are crepuscular, meaning active at dusk and dawn, making them one of our most visible Owl species. Local to me in Wiltshire Salisbury Plain reliably holds a few wintering birds and in recent winters Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Blakehill reserve has held up to eight birds provided regular close up views. In total there are between 5000 - 50000 wintering birds. This range in numbers reflects influxes of birds from the continent and Scandinavia in colder winters. Analysis of birds breeding in the U.K has shown that they tend to winter in salt marshes and coastal areas in the U.K.

Unfortunately, like so many species, all is not well for the Short-eared Owl in the U.K. The species is Amber listed meaning it has undergone a breeding range and population decline, perhaps more than any other predatory bird. Like so many other upland breeding species (such as the Hen Harrier) a driver in the decline is the illegal persecution of birds of prey on some areas of upland and Grouse moor. This has worsened in recent years as the management of these moors has intensified. In order to address this BTO are undertaking a large scale research project into the British breeding population and there is growing support to move towards banning or restricting driven Grouse shooting.

To find out more about the BTO’s Short-eared Owls research click here.

For more information on Grouse shooting click here. 

No Luck Catching Them Swans Then.......

There are several hundred Whooper Swans in front of you on a lake. Your task is to catch as many of them as you can. How would you do it?

Swans being herded in the swan pipe

Well thankfully for you, the team at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have perfected the art of swan catching. In one corner of the lake there is a netted tunnel, it is this that you will catch the swans in. There are about 20 people waiting out of site in the wings waiting for the moment when the trap is sprung. One of the site warden walk along the side of the lake doing the daily swan feed, he goes into the pipe, and the birds duly follow. The seconds creep by as you wait for more and more swans to go into the pipe, at the right moment the decision is made, a rope is pulled and the netted door falls down, trapping the swans. You and the other sprint out into the tunnel as fast as you can. You farm a line and slowly walk down the tunnel pushing all the swans into the holding area at the far end, A few try to make a break for it between your legs but they are turned around. The swans all get herded into the pens and the door is closed. Congratulations, you have just completed a successful swan catch.



A swan in a swan harness

This exact scenario was played out twice a couple weeks ago at WWT Caerlaverock in Dumfriesshire and WWT Martin Mere in Lancashire. In total we caught 193 Whooper Swans, 37 Mute Swans, 1 Teal, 1 Pochard, 7 Pintail, 15 Mallard, 15 Shelduck and 7 Coot.

But why did we catch them? Well all the birds caught were fitted with a metal ring and the Whooper Swans and Coot were also given a coloured Darvic ring. This forms a vital part of WWT's long term monitoring program.



Darvic Rings

In addition to being ringed the swans also have a variety of biometric data taken. This helps to assess the swans general condition and health. So once they have been ushered into the holding areas the swans are divided up into a series of smaller pens, this means the catch can be manged better and gives the swans’ adequate room. Swans are then individually caught and sexed, this is done by looking at their vent. Once they have been sexed they are placed in a special designed harness which stops them from struggling.

From here they are passed along onto the ringing table where, unsurprisingly, the rings are fitted. Each bird is given a metal ring with a unique code on it, part of the BTO ringing scheme. The plastic Darvic ring, fitted on the other leg, has a three digit alpha-numeric code on a coloured background. This allows individual birds to be easily identified in the field, without need for re-capture. Here the total head measurement is taken (measuring the beak and skull length) and the tarsus (the lower leg) is measured. The bird is then taken to be weighed and wing length measured, these are carried out by separate teams forming a processing line for the birds. Once all these measurement have been taken the swans are released none the worse for wear. The other species were all fitted with a metal ring.



A map of the breeding a wintering range
of the Whooper Swan

Ringing the swans allows us to track their movements between the wintering grounds in the U.K and the Icelandic breeding grounds. We can also learn how they use different habitats, their lifespan and the partners and offspring. This provides us with invaluable information on their lives and a vital tool for conserving both the swans and their habitats. One a slightly darker note, we also know that 13% of Whooper Swans have lead shot in them, despite having legal protection and that many swans die from ingesting lead form the environment.  From ringing birds in this way we have learnt that some swans can survive to almost thirty years old. Also interestingly, some swans can get blown off course and join the Fennoscandia populations for a short time during winter before coming back the U.K and then returning to Iceland the following spring.  

Also of interest, one of the Pintails was a re-captured bird that was ringed at WWT Slimbridge in 2007.

To find out more about WWT’s work on the Whooper Swan click here.

To sign a petition calling for a ban on the use of lead shot click here.

For more information about bird ringing and the science it underpins click here.