Long-eared Owl breeding

I have spent a bit of time observing breeding Long-eared and Tawny Owls this spring. Both bred at sites where I have had breeding in previous years and I checked these earlier in the spring without noting any sign of use but in May things changed.

First the Long-eared Owls and the Tawnies will follow in a separate post.

 

The Long-eared Owls who use an old Hooded Crow nest first revealed their presence when I saw an adult on it. I assumed she was on eggs but it soon transpired she was brooding three young. It was not long before the female stopped brooding and then just a few days later the first jumped out but it was still a week before the youngest chick followed. After this the young could be found in nearby trees and bushes and on one occasion I located one of the adults but they then became impossible for me to locate in the day.

29 April - tail of bird on nest. According to BWP it is the female that indicates

the other adult (male) perched lower down in the nest tree

the sitting bird from the other side of the nest

7 May. I assumed that the female was still on eggs as I had checked the nest earlier in the spring without seeing a bird here

8 May - a large young was clearly visible in the nest so the nest had been in use for at least 6 weeks

13 May - three young in nest (the 3rd is barely visible) and the female had stopped brooding

15 May - only 2 young seen in nest

16 May - still 2 young in the nest, and...

one already out and in a bush below the nest

one of the birds in the nest from another angle

23 May - a whole week later and still a single young in the nest although was perched on a branch by nest

I could not find any of the other young but this adult (presumably the female) followed my every move

28 May - all three young heard calling but I could only find this one. It was the one furthest away from the nest which could imply it is the oldest but I don't really know