The Owl In Daylight Thomas Hendry
Species profile: Short Eared Owl
equates to the colour of fire, as seen in the Shorty’s blazing yellow
Standing on a tussock of tall grass, I stared across the wire
get a good close view. Who says Latin is a dead language!
eyes. When perched or in flight, these eyes truly glow when you
(Asio flammeus)
fence that encaged a large expanse of undisturbed wilderness. It
Status and distribution
was not always the case. This 7km exclusion zone once hosted an MOD (Ministry of Defence) arms depot. Who knows what
This owl is unusual among British owls in that it hunts primarily
weaponry is buried there! The site is strictly off limits to the public,
by day, though dawn and dusk is an ideal time to watch them
but this privacy has allowed the landscape to become wild again.
hunt and display. It is also unique among owls in that it is ground
Long grass, and moor, unrestricted vegetation has made the
nesting, and favours open, treeless country, especially open
ammo dump a haven for wildlife. Ghostly shells of old admin huts
moorlands and wet grassland habitats. It is a scarce breeder,
are dotted about here and there, littering the zone like clerical ship
with 1000-3500 pairs located primarily in Northern England and
wrecks.
Scotland. It is in winter that the species can be most readily
Dusk creeps in and there is movement in the sky. They are
enjoyed. Continental birds migrate from Scandinavia and Russia
owls. Pale, silent Short Eared Owls expertly navigate the trees and
to escape the harsh winters, and numbers in Britain swell from
huts in search of their favourite prey, Short Tailed Voles. I watch
anywhere from 5000 to a staggering 50,000 birds!
as not one, nor two, but four Short Eared Owls display, flying so
Populations are difficult to estimate, as the owls are highly
close at times that you instinctively duck. After seeing one for the
nomadic, travelling and fluctuating in accordance to vole
first time, you can never mistake it. Pale, creamy underneath with
populations. Short Eared Owls often winter in communal roosts,
chocolate speckles, they rise from the long grass like butterflies,
and it is one of these communal roosts in West Cumbria that I
their long dainty wings look cumbersome but prove anything but.
have been observing for several weeks. At this particular site,
This owl’s face is so flat that it appears headless in flight, adding a
human disturbance is thankfully minimised by the fenced off
touch of the surreal to this being of day and dusk.
private land, but it must be emphasised that communal owl roosts can easily be prone to disturbance, and the birds’ space and
Folklore
boundaries must be respected at all times. It is early spring now, and the owls have almost left the British
The Short Eared Owl has a circumpolar distribution, found over Europe, North America, South America and the top of Asia, and
coastlines, leaving the small number of resident birds to breed in
has inspired and mystified in equal measure, transcending the
remote moors. I watch them, knowing that any day the Sea Owls
mind and floating into myth. The Inuit believed it was once a girl,
will return from whence they came. But before they depart, they
who was magically transformed into an owl with a long face and
treat me to some unforgettable sights. I arrive one evening to
beak. When she became frightened, she flew into the side of a
find an owl simply perched on a telegraph wire. He is rotating his
house and flattened her face and bill forever after.
head, a little wary but assured, those lemon flamed eyes blazing in all directions. Another instance, two owls are circling around the
In other cultures too, the wing beats have left their mark. The Hawaiian subspecies is named ‘Pueo’, and holds an ambiguous
wider area, forming a huge ring of space around the grassland,
role in the local folklore. He is the protector, and holds a key role
carved in two by a road and hedgerows. The two owls meet
in many stories by resurrecting dead heroes after being killed and
above the fence, and lock talons for a split second, in greeting or
rescuing others in peril. If an owl crosses your path in Hawaii, it is
farewell. The last time I see one, it is perched on a tree, hungrily
a bad omen, and it would be wise to abandon your journey! The
tearing at a small rodent and eating it… valuable energy for the
name has permeated deep in the subconscious, and its name
journey home.
now lies in many peculiar sayings. For example, ‘child of an owl, whose father is not known’, ‘the owl as a protector in battle’,
T J Hendry is a writer and conservationist who explores
and ‘the owl who sings of war’, not to mention all the valleys and
a mixture of sci-fi, nature and fantasy themes. He lived in
places named after him.
Canada for a year, and has participated in conservation
Legends aside, there are countless local names worldwide
projects in Iceland and the Hudson Bay.
that are more down to earth, but equally delightful in their literal interpretation of the owl’s appearance and actions. ‘Evening Owl’, ‘Meadow Owl’, ‘Bog Owl’, ‘Woodcock Owl’, to name a few, ‘Mouse Owl’, ‘Brown Yogle’, ‘Pilot Owl’ to name others. The name ‘Sea Owl’ is intriguing as it alludes to the migratory, sea crossing nature of this owl, but my favourite has to be the Chinese ‘duan er mao tou ying’, which translates to Short Eared Cat- Headed Owl. There is also beauty to be interpreted in the scientific name. The Asio in the Latin name relates to the owl family, but flammeus
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