Early morning Owl

This Short-eared Owl was present at dawn on the Nene Washes the other day. He was perched surveying the area and me before taking off into the sunrise.

An owl species that you are just as likely to see in daylight as your are during the hours of dawn and dusk. These birds have bred in the area before, but are more often seen during the winter months when they come down from their Highland fastness or from northern Europe to the more mild climes of the south half of Britain. This year has been a good year for wintering SEO`s, as they are known (saves having to write their full name!) for the whole of the south of the U.K. with large numbers of these birds present, indeed there have been regular double figure counts of these birds present on the Nene Washes. The large numbers present have been attributed to very good levels of their favourite prey, the lemming (in Europe), which has led to an extremely good breeding season and survival rate of the young.

Long may it continue.