Owl hotspots, eastern England.... (1 Viewer)

[Katherine]

Owl hotspots, Eastern England / East Midlands / S. and E. Yorks.......

Are there any good hotspots for owl sightings in eastern England? I'm thinking for Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and East Yorkshire in particular..... am frustrated in my local patch near Boston (no luck for five months) and need to 'spread my wings' a little!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tranquility Base]

Hi Katherine!
Owls can be tough to connect with: even when you know you're in the right place, you can fail to see them!
But Suffolk and Norfolk are really pretty good for all five breeding species (not counting Snowies or Eagle Owls!) No guarantees, but try these spots if you're over this way:
Barn Owl: Pretty numerous in North Norfolk still: the stretch of farmland from Mundesley to Cromer can be good. Always easier to see when they're feeding young in the Spring, but the North coastal strip early am is productive in the Winter too. Strumpshaw Fen RSPB can be really good, as can the fields either side of the little roads leading down to Cantley / Reedham
Tawny Owl: Very widespread: But!!!!! It's one thing hearing them hoot, it's another actually seeing one! I have a resident pair at the end of my garden, but have only seen them three times! The region around the monument in Holkham Park is a tradional spot.
Short-eared Owl: Although they do breed in Norfolk, they're easier to see in the Winter: the North Coastal strip is good: try Burnham Norton or Holme. Another great place is 'the Loop': the fields around the stretch of the River Bure North of Breydon Water. (Take a local guide! LOL!)
Long-eared Owl: easier to hear, rather than see! The Brecks is the strong-hold: around Linford Arboretum at 3.00am on a mid-May morning is reliable! I'd be ripped to shreds on here if I told you where LEOs breed in North Norfolk! LOL!
Little Owl: Not as common as they once were, I don't think.... I just sort of bump into them! There are a few pairs in the fields between Halvergate and Cantley, and the oaks West of the road down from Choseley Barns have been reliable.
Hope this helps!
TB

 

[nigelblake]

The paddocks east of the Lifeboat Inn at Thornham are always reliable for Barn Owl, I have seen 3 birds there at once on a few occasions.
Burnham Norton marshes also is a good Barn Owl site, as well as the meadows either side of Lady Annes drive at Holkham.
Late afternoon at Salthouse beach road should get both Barn Owl and Short eared Owl, I have seen both there this week.
Snettisham is also good for Barnies and SEOs, on the reserve and also around the car park area.
January through to mid March at Welney is also very good for Barn, Short eared and Little Owls, the road along by the WWT info centre can have several of Barn and SEO hunting the bank particularly when high water on the washes pushes the birds onto surrounding farm land, check out the road to Pymore also, near Four Balls farm, on the Pymore road, there are always Little Owls in the willows by the small paddock, generally low down about 4 or 5 ft above the ground, they do get on the fence posts late afternoon.

 

[James Blake]

Abbey Farm, Flitcham, Norfolk is usually a good spot for Little Owls - though I'm not up to date with sightings from the last few months.

There's a fine old oak right in front of the only hide there and there's often an Owl sitting on its base.

good luck
James

 

[Brian Stone]

Thinking of places closer to where you live Barn Owls are reliable at Baston Fen NR. Park here and walk along the high bank on the north side of the washland:
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=52.744&lon=-0.3053&scale=25000&icon=x

The number one spot for Barn Owls around here is Eldernell, where up to 4 can be seen at once and even when they have had a poor year like this one you should be able to connect with at least one without having to leave the carpark. They often sit on the goalposts of the playing field you pass on your right just before reaching the carpark.
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=52.5745&lon=-0.057&scale=25000&icon=x

Short-eared Owls are also regular here - there are sometimes over 60 present in the winter but numbers fluctuate very widely and sometimes you have to walk a fair way to locate the one or two present. They are also seen at Baston Fen NR.

If you need to see a Tawny Owl there is one always sat in a tree hole during the day on the edge of Peterborough - see pic. PM me for how to see it.

There are a couple of places where you can see roosting Long-eared Owls in the daytime locally but they are not very tollerant of disturbance so they tend not to be publicised. They can be seen in flight at dusk at Eldernell but this is by no means guaranteed.

 

[POP]

Are there any good hotspots for owl sightings in eastern England? I'm thinking for Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and East Yorkshire in particular..... am frustrated in my local patch near Boston (no luck for five months) and need to 'spread my wings' a little!

Thanks in advance!

Eldernell is a very good site even if conditions are not always favourable,last saturday 2 Barn owls and 2,SEO

POP

 

[KnockerNorton]

East Yorkshire - TA 114 352, fields at the end of Bransholme Road, around the Bransholme Fishing lake off Noddle Hill Way, Hull. In particular, the 2 fields alongside the Holderness Drain, between the council compost depot (formerly High Bransholme farm) and the Great Culvert pumping station.

You're guaranteed 1-3 barn owls, very likely 1-4 short-eared owls, and there are tawnies in the nearby hedgerows at North Bransholme (Cumbrian Way). Also, search the old thick hedges in the fields around the fishing pond for roosting long-eared.

Little owsl are scarce, but you might see one.

Late afternoons are best.

 

[dbradnum]

This: http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/articles/asio_owls.htm
might be of interest.

In particular, note that you've got what apparently used to be one of the best LEO roost sites very near to Boston at Hobhole Drain.... though I've never been there, and don't know if it's still any good?

 

[scary-canary]

Are there any good hotspots for owl sightings in eastern England? I'm thinking for Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and East Yorkshire in particular..... am frustrated in my local patch near Boston (no luck for five months) and need to 'spread my wings' a little!

Thanks in advance!

You would surely see short eared owl on the marshes at cut end or frampton this winter. And the back road along the river between Spalding and Deeping (Deeping high bank) is good for barn, short eared and little.

 

[Chris Monk]

Are there any good hotspots for owl sightings in eastern England? I'm thinking for Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and East Yorkshire in particular..... am frustrated in my local patch near Boston (no luck for five months) and need to 'spread my wings' a little!

Thanks in advance!

Come down to the next Peterborough Bird Club Indoor event and make yourself known. I'm sure someone there can tell you about or even go out with you to nearby owl sites.

Indoor Meeting: Tuesday 28th November 2006
Islay, an Island for Birds by Gordon Langsbury.
Gordon is a professional wildlife photographer, lecturer, author and tour leader. This is an extended version of the lecture he delivered at the Bird Far at Rutland Water.

Starts at 7.30pm at The Burghley Square Club, Peterborough.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.s...=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf

http://pbc.codehog.co.uk/

We also have field trips where you can be shown various good owl sites too.