Day Hunting Long Eared Owl

During the last week I was able to witness a Long Eared Owl leave its diurnal roost then look for prey from a hawthorne hedge. It circled low over a rough pasture then returned to the very same roosting branch that it left ten minutes earlier. It had caught no prey and was harassed by Crows throughout its excursion. This is the first Long Eared Owl that I have ever seen hunting during daylight hours when there were no young in a nest to feed and it is another example of how this winter’s weather is having a detrimental effect on the survival of all our Owls. If more settled weather does not prevail soon then many of them will not be in a condition to breed this year. Click here