Easter Disaster

This male Long Eared Owl in the photo was found roosting by his incubating female on Easter Saturday and looked quite proud to be protecting her while she incubated the eggs in an old Magpies nest. Their world was turned upside down the next day when youths pitched three tents under their nesting tree and resulted in failure of breeding for this year. In another plantation near Oldham the same thing happened and another pair of Long Eared Owls failed.

The lesson, of course, is that good weather when Easter falls in April can be a disaster for our local breeding Owls – not just Long Eared but Tawnys as well. Next year Easter does fall again in April so lets all hope we have four days of pouring rain – if only for the benefit of our breeding Owls.

It is good to hear Blackcaps singing in the woods and we now wait with trepidation to see if any Wood Warblers return.