We seem to have a good population of Barn Owls here in the Scottish Borders and I see them quite a lot these winter days as they are going about their business looking for meeces before the darkness comes down.
Today, one gave me a fright. :o :o We were driving home and on a long straight stretch of road a Barn Owl was quartering a field and then towards the road. The silly thing flew at our car and straight into the windscreeen. :o :o Not saying what I called my other half but it wasn't very nice. I wondered how on earth I was going to rescue this Barn Owl and where to take it to get fixed or whatever. Other half said, I think it is ok. He kindly turned the car round and went back and sure enough there was the bold Barn Owl sitting perched on a fence. It took one look at us and flew off. Was I not one happy lady.  :D :D
Thanks for that Carol.Nice to have a story with a happy ending.
  All The Best-Marky.
Well done Carol !
:)
Yes, brilliant that he was ok. And it's great to hear that barn owls are doing so well in your area. Here in the westcountry the population has suffered a great deal, but numbers seem to be picking up now. We have a local charity working with barn owls, if you want to see more here's their website.
www.barnowltrust.org.uk/
I was on the back of my dads motorbike once and he suddenly ducked as did I as a pigeon flew straight at us! Could have been a nasty accident that one, luckily all was OK.
Quote from: Apple Dumpling on February 16, 2005, 19:15:36
Yes, brilliant that he was ok. And it's great to hear that barn owls are doing so well in your area. Here in the westcountry the population has suffered a great deal, but numbers seem to be picking up now. We have a local charity working with barn owls, if you want to see more here's their website.
www.barnowltrust.org.uk/
Dumpling
The Trust you mention have put up 3 Barn Owl nest boxes in barns at home on the farm. 2 have neen occupied for a number of years and the owls are a common site at home now. The third box has been occupied by a Kestrel, only one at the moment but would be great to get a breeding pair.
Jerry
Does anyone know the answer to this? I get a tawny owl visiting my garden and I thought of putting up a box but would this deter other birds from visiting my bird table, or would they all co-exist happily together?
Quote from: wardy on February 23, 2005, 09:23:46
Does anyone know the answer to this? I get a tawny owl visiting my garden and I thought of putting up a box but would this deter other birds from visiting my bird table, or would they all co-exist happily together?
Tawny's are mainly noctournal and feed on small mamals so should not effect the bird population.
Jerry
There was a lovely 10 minute programme on the telly last night about Tawny owls. The house owner was feeding them with dead mice on the bird table - fantastic ! I wish the ones we have would take food like that from the bird table.
Oh I missed it! I would have loved to have seen it. I usually get a tawny owl or two taking up residence in my garden mainly during the summer months. One used to arrive at about 4.30 pm and settle on my fence and start hooting. I was decorating and quite bored at the time so used to hoot back (no-one else to talk to). Then the owl's pal would turn up and they'd hoot and one would screech long into the night. Drove me b......y mad. I love them though and feel honoured they came to my garden. Plenty of great big trees in mine and my neighbours garden and a field behind the house for them to hunt in.