21/02/2022 Undisclosed Site

Long-eared Owl: Winter LEO roosts are particularly sensitive to disturbance, with the blame being put at the doorstep of photographers sometime rightley and sometimes wrongly. 

So during this encounter let me assure you that a considerable distance and care was taken when viewing these birds.

I've been monitoring this particular LEO roost throughout the winter  and have had up to seven birds at any one time and regaurtally see three to four individuals at any one time during my visits.

LEO's tend to roost communally, often in hedges or patches of scrub. As birders, we all love to see owls, they are beautiful, fascinating, and generally hard to come by. 

   

An encounter with an owl can be among the most memorable of birding experiences. In many places, however, roosting owls are vulnerable to disturbance. 

These birds are very close to a public footpath, one that is regularly used by dog walkers, cyclists and  I've even seen small scrambler bikes whizzing past.