Sunday 3 February 2013

More Owls

I have been waiting for at least two weeks to go back to Rising Sun CP to try and trap the remaining 2 short-eared owls after all the snow had gone.  I turned up on the site and it was a little breezy and sunny which was not ideal but I was really going for the long-eared owls.  I set the first line of 3 nets and went to the other side of the field to set the next line of nets.  A short-eared was already hunting near the net and was observed flying over the top but soon went into the net, however as I run across the field and when I was at the net the bird managed to escape.  Very frustrating.  I watched for the next two and half hours as 3 short-eareds hunting around and over the nets.  As dusk came though I was in high hopes for a long-eared.  They appeared from the roost earlier than expected and caught me off guard.  It was not long before I trapped 2 in a net together.  As with the last 3, these were both females, one adult and one immature.  Two walkers out for a late evening stroll managed to get great views in the hand and left happy.  Later I had a third long-eared escaped from the net.  I also left that evening feeling like I had been successful but also frustrated that the short-eared managed to escape.  I will just have to keep trying.