Long-eared Owl: Such a marvelous sight and such a privilege to observe these shy and elusive birds on a site that I've been monitoring.
Listening carefully and following the sounds of their sharp squeaking whistle, reminiscent of a squeaky gate. Their begging call rings out from within the pine plantation, but pin pointing them as they sit still, camouflaged is still a challenge.
LEO's will breed between February and July with the female staying with the eggs and chicks all day and only taking a few breaks at night. The male hunts and brings food to the female and chicks until the brood are independent.
I was also lucky enough to get a glimpse of an adult bird hunting over the moors, it was great to see it flying deep into the pines to feed its young, then flying off back on he hunt for more food.
The chicks still can’t fly when they leave the nest and instead walk out onto neighbouring branches. Their parents will provide for them until they become fledglings and learn to fly and fend for themselves.
