Long-eared Owl: A bird not easily seen during the breeding season, when they are mostly nocturnal. But during the winter they can be seen much more easily at their winter roosts.
LEO winter roosts used to be much more common than they are now. In fact, in some areas where they appeared to be well established, they have disappeared altogether, and a winter LEO roost is now a rare sight.
So I can understand when there has been some displeasure and resentment via a Whatsapp group recently to people sharing the sightings of LEO roosts. I understand in certain circumstances that suppressing sightings is a positive move.
However there has been an historic roost at Sandbach Flashes, one that is pretty much inaccessible as they are found on the opposite side of a very boggy flash and well known.
All you have to do is type in on Twitter 'LEO Sandbach' and you will see tons of sightings, they even have them on their web page.
https://sandbachflashes.co.uk/tag/groby-flash/
Brambling: Still, I would recommend practising good field craft, keeping quiet, don't wave your hands about or move them too quickly and respect the owls. And please check with County Recorders or other local bird watchers before putting LEO info on social media & out into the public domain.
Before going to see the owls Dawn and I headed over to Hanchrch Woods a bit further south near Stoke.
Here we watched the fantastic feeding station for these orange finches.
