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Mystery, Superstition and Imagination Ashton's Owls - part 2 of 1 2 3 4 5 6

by Jon Ashton Published 01/02/2012

Luckily for me, Wirral peninsula in northwest England is well known for winter visiting short-eared owls; they are most readily seen from the coast line running from Burton to Heswall, there are also small numbers of resident barn owls, little owls and tawny owls present in the farmland and woodland thought the rest of Wirral. An owl's typical daily activity begins with preening, stretching, yawning and combing its head with its claws. The plumage is often ruffled up, and claws and toes are cleaned by nibbling with the beak. The owl will then leave its roost, sometimes giving a call (especially in breeding season). When relaxed, the plumage is loose and fluffy. If an owl becomes alarmed, it will become slim, its feathers pulled in tightly to the body, and ear-tufts, if any, will stand straight up

Owls have a very expressive body language. Many species will bob and weave their head, as if curious about something - this is to improve their three-dimensional concept of what they are viewing. When protecting young or defending itself, an owl may assume a 'threat' or defensive posture, with feathers ruffled to increase apparent size. The head may be lowered, and wings spread out and pointing down. Some species become quite aggressive when nesting, and have been known to attack humans.

Owls have a very wide range of vocalisations, ranging from the hoots to whistles, screeches, screams and hisses. Hooting is often territorial, and is also associated with courting, the male usually having the lower pitched hoot. It should be noted that not all owl species hoot. The "towit towoo" sound we often associate with owls is the usually the call of the tawny owl - the male and female responding to each other. Owls can also make clicking noises with their tongues, often as part of a threat display. They may also clap their wings in flight as part of a mating display, this is often seen in short-eared owls.

Because owls are predators, they are feared by many birds. For this reason, they are often attacked or harassed by groups of smaller birds. This is not limited to one species as, once the attack begins, many different birds will join in. Owls rarely responds to the harassment and consequently it is rare for the owl to be injured.

An owl's diet includes invertebrates (such as insects, spiders, earthworms, snails and crabs), fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and small mammals. All owls are equipped with special adaptations that make them efficient predators. Keen eyesight allows them to locate quarry even on dim nights. Sensitive, directional hearing (hence the facial disc) helps locate concealed prey. An owl's flight is silenced by special wing feathers, which muffle the sound of the air rushing over the surface of the wing. This allows an owl to hunt by stealth, taking their victims by surprise. It also allows the owl to listen for prey movements while still flying.

The short-eared owl typically flies low, flapping and gliding, and may simply drop on the target, opening the wings at the last moment. Once caught, smaller prey is carried away in the bill, or eaten immediately. Owls cannot chew their food; small prey items are swallowed whole, while larger prey are torn into smaller pieces before being swallowed.

• Mystery, Superstition and Imagination Ashton's Owls page 1
  
• Mystery, Superstition and Imagination Ashton's Owls page 2
  
• Mystery, Superstition and Imagination Ashton's Owls page 3
  
• Mystery, Superstition and Imagination Ashton's Owls page 4
  
• Mystery, Superstition and Imagination Ashton's Owls page 5
  
• Mystery, Superstition and Imagination Ashton's Owls page 6
  

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