Noisy early morning visitors

[Catherine]

It was a really warm night on Wednesday/Thursday - so warm in fact that all the windows were wide open, with only the curtains between us and the outside world!

It was so warm that it was difficult to get any sleep at all, but I think I must have nodded off some time after two.

However, I was rudely awoken at 4am precisely by a 'Kee-vick! Keevick!' then a 'Keevick-a-woooo!' just outside the window.

I looked out, but could see nothing. Then the racket started again, and this time I realised one Tawny Owl must have been perching on the archway at the side gate, while the other call came from the tree across the road.

There were short periods of silence before the sounds repeated, again and again. Then the Blackbird gang seemed to wake up - and their alarm calls almost swamped the Owl noises. However, this did not get the Owls to move on.

Then another noisy shower arrived to add to the melee! A group of Carrion Crows appeared (it was nearly 4.30am now) and their raucous calls and swooshing and dipping flight round the areas where the Owls were, seemed to do the trick.

The Owls and Crows moved off - and all was quiet again! Even the Blackbirds seemed to be taking another rest

[rolf]

LOL, shame, a lovely experience to have an Owl in your garden Catherine, just a bit of bad timing.

[Chocky]

Sounded super to me. I would love to hear all that in the early hours .

[ladylouise62]

Goodness, Catherine - what a to-do ! I tend just to get sparrows, although sometimes they sound like they are wearing hobnail boots in the roof!
Do you ever get to see the owls?

[Catherine]

I have a pic of one sitting on the Sky dish in Ayr, but none of any down here.

I've seen one a few times in the back garden, sitting on the trellis above the shrub border, looking at the ground. One time it swooped down, then flew off with something, but the light wasn't good enough to take a photo.

I do have a short video of the Tawny Owl's call from the Oak tree here, but that's all!

That morning, it was strange hearing the calls of the mobbing crows get quieter and quieter as they and the Tawny Owls flew off into the distance - while through it all, Glen slept on - but then he never heard our baby son crying 32 years ago, so nothing changes....