It has a been an owl week. On Thursday morning we watched a Barn Owl hunting (see post below). Yesterday a Tawny Owl was seen hunting along the disused railway line during the day. And today I noticed that a Little Owl has taken up residence in the hollow of an Alder tree in a neighbour's field. Little Owls nested in this tree in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and then were absent for the next seven years. This year one has appeared again. Whether it is one of the original pair I do not know but they can live up to ten years. It is also possible that this one (or pair) are the descendants of the pair that used to nest in that tree, as they are a fairly sedentary species, meaning that they do not move far from their natal area.
Little Owls are not native to the British Isles, they were introduced from Europe in the 19th century. They do not appear to be detrimental to our native wildlife.
The two photos below show typical poses of Little Owls. They are seen during daylight and sit still for extended periods (10s of minutes). They are probably surveying the ground for small mammals, birds, and invertebrates including earthworms, insect larvae, beetles etc. When they do fly it is with a characteristic fluttering motion.
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