Owls

Sunday, 15th January 2012

After yesterday's good luck finding a Little Owl, I decided this morning to follow up a report of Short Eared Owls on Papercourt Meadows, between Old Woking and Ripley. I parked at Old Woking, and headed across the water meadows towards Papercourt Lock on the Wey Navigation. What I didn't know at the time was that the Owls don't normally appear until after 3pm. But it was a pleasant sunny day, attractive countryside, plenty of other wildlife to see, and I continued beyond the lock to the Seven Stars at Ripley for lunch.

A pair of Stonechats on their favourite vantage point, a grass stalk.

A Kestrel sizes up a potential meal.

A male Stonechat

A female Stonechat.

A Deer, north of the river

A Cormorant passes by.

Just after 3.30pm, the Short Eared Owls arrived. Of course, they were at the opposite end of the meadow, so we made our way down to get a better view of their flying display.

One of the Short Eared Owls flies past during the display ...

... and turns his face towards us and smiles (?).

One of the Owls gives a harrying Crow a taste of its own medicine.

After a while the Owls moved back to where we had been originally, and as I could also see a Barn Owl there, I followed them. I got some good views but no more pictures.