With a breeding pair publicly announced and location given.
Its not a million miles from me, and should the weather been good this weekend, i'm tempted to go and visit.
Info here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/6698873.stm
The location is being policed and footpaths closed.
One interesting thing i read on bird forums was that Oil rig workers had seen them flying west from mainland europe?! Now if true that would give a point towards true expansion.
Thoughts?
(yes i know i started a thread about this a year or so ago )
If it were nearer to me, I'd be tempted to go and visit!
My thoughts are that if the species have escaped from captivity, then a close watch needs to be kept on them, to see what sort of impact they're having on our native wildlife. If they have spread here under their own steam, then good luck to them.
I think careful monitoring is the key here, so we can learn more about the status and impact of these birds before making any decisions.
Here we go again The photograph, the tick for twitchers & the deadly unforgiving diurnal/nocturnal predator
Impressive Owls I know, I work with them closely & what an impressive species they are, On the loose & breeding in the wild in the UK now that's a different matter & a cocktail for disaster. Are they really coming in from Europe? personally that makes me laugh. Are these two the young of an illegally released pair?
For the area where they are nesting & the areas where the young will eventually disperse to, you might as well say goodbye to what used to live there, talk about the unbalance of nature.
With the media coverage that will be created by this new pair, it will be guaranteed that more & more unwanted Eagle Owls will be secretly illegally released from captivity to the wild. Might be a good thing as they are shutting footpaths to the countryside because of their presence & the attacks on dog walkers & humans.
One thing of interest to see what these birds are. The young have been DNA tested. it would be interesting to see what they find. If there is any non europen Eagle Owl in them then they cannot be immigrants, but if they are pure eurasian, it does give them a degree of "freedom".
Thing is vincent, the prey of the eagle owl is pretty similar to that of a golden eagle. Which also eats anything with legs and feathers, and people would be double doe eyed if it was them breeding... But i agree if they are from released birds they should be captured or (though i would hate it) destroyed.
I cannot see how any DNA testing will help to prove their origin, I was talking about this last night with a few friends who are schedule 1 ringers, we were not convinced that DNA can prove that they are migrating over from Europe.
On the migratory issues, until proven it surely must be taken into account that the Eagle Owls breeding in the UK could be from captive stock whether we like it or not, on the other hand they could be the off-spring of what as already bred in the country. An important fact must be that the fist breeding pair were introduced, that is until proven that is, this now is irrelevant due to the numbers that are now wild bred! Now here & creating a vast amount of interest, monitoring is definitely a key issue but this should be done with great caution taking into account the other species that inhabit the locations they are ending up. One day someone will be honest & admit that the Eagle Owl was an introduced species.
What bothers me most about the Eagle Owl saga is their availability as pets together with the low price tag they can be purchased for, that saddens me. My biggest concern overall if I was to be honest is the huge number of captive breeding stock we have in this country & the thoughtless breeding programs that take place annually, if you put this with the large amount of unwanted Eagle Owls that are kept in peoples back gardens the problems are a nightmare. With the media coverage that will follow this new pair of Eagle Owls & the statements that are being made that they are migrating from Europe; this will encourage more irrespirable people to illegally release their birds to the wild & this will be in areas that are not suitable. I just wish that one day; DEFRA, Natural England, RSPB, RSPCA, Zoos & the Falconry world took control of the captive breeding that goes on especially within the back gardens of housing estates, for me the future breeding & selling of birds to the public should be discontinued or banned!
Issues that don’t stack up on the migration. An Eagle Owl will not fly for long periods of time; they are too cumbersome & too heavy. For the main bird, the female, she can easily weigh up to 11 to 14lbs; this is a lot of weight to carry for long periods of time especially if she was coming under attack from seabirds out at sea.
She will have too many conflicting species that would hinder her if she attempting a long haul flight, this is why they fly short distances & have a flight path that is very low to the ground, flying high would be a dangerous exercise & would simply put the Owl in a vulnerable situation of being attacked. Seabirds as we all know are very defensive with any predator, imagine if a single large Eagle Owl or target of this kind was spotted in flight in the middle of the Sea or even on the coast line, I don’t think the seabird population would say hello to it & wish it a happy journey, they would simply attempt to beat it down with the attempt to drive it into the sea. It is beyond me to even think that an Eagle Owl will fly over a 100 miles of sea from mainland Europe to an island it doesn’t know it’s there, that would be one hell of a suicidal mission & for what, to catch fluffy bunnies & to breed? For young Eagle Owls to think about migrating, these would not have the nerve/mentality/stamina to make such a dangerous journey. Intelligence & dry land is the key to survival & for the Eagle Owl this makes migratory overseas non feasible.
Regarding the Eagle Owls prey species being similar to that of a Golden Eagle, how wrong this can be, Eagle Owls have a much larger prey range than most other bird predators.
Below is an idea of prey species & species that would be taken out to remove conflict.
Ground Prey can range from anything the size of a small fox, dog, cat & even down to the size of a small tit-bit of a Vole, Rabbits obviously will be the main prey species in the UK as they are more vulnerable, what happens if rabbit numbers run low? With Eagle Owlets at the nest, the prey species must be the size to enable it to be flown back to the nest. Out of breeding season, size of prey would vary as long as it can be devoured in a safe place that provides all round visibility, this would be important for the Eagle Owls safety.
Birds that can be taken by Eagle Owls: These can be Buzzard size down to small ground nesting birds, smaller Owls can also be included. For an Eagle Owl, catching a bird can be an easy task especially if the hunted bird’s flight is sluggish, Eagle Owls can take birds in flight with ease if the opportunity arises. At around dusk or during the night would be a preferred time for an Eagle Owl to take this kind of action, Eagle Owls have great memories especially if it is creating conflict with it within the area it inhabits, they will easily mark the location where a conflicting bird will return to roost, the easier the catch the less energy it will use to make the kill, the aim would be conserve energy & not waste it.
Gaining a territory: Diurnal birds in the Eagle Owls territory will naturally create confliction, if the situation arises the Eagle Owl will take on any conflict, for the Eagle Owls their time will take place more so under the cover of darkness when the Eagle Owl as the upper hand. Never under estimate the Eagle Owl & don’t be misled by thinking it simply survives on fluffy bunnies. It’s a majestic species, a powerful hunter, unforgiving, very calculated & deadly when it chooses to be. Wildlife in this country have never encountered such a predator, oh they might have done before the UK broke away from Europe, that could explain why fossil remains of Eagle Owls were found in the UK.
Please forgive me for rambling on like this; believe it or not, the Eagle Owl is a species I have a lot of time for & for me this is a species I admire a hell of a lot especially as I am honoured to work with them in a natural way. For others though who just observe their lives through a scope & at a safe distance, sometimes the whole picture surrounding them is lost or forgotten.
DNA:
If the birds are pure European Eagle Owl, then they "may" be birds which have moved due to over crowding in Holland. A DNA test would show if they have any African or Asian Eagle owl species cross breeding.
Migration:
Though it is not likely, it is also not impossible, and will given the right situation, happen. The report of a Oil Station worker seeing a large brown owl on an oil rig, would suggest a Eagle owl.
Food:
"Regarding the Eagle Owls prey species being similar to that of a Golden Eagle, how wrong this can be, Eagle Owls have a much larger prey range than most other bird predators. "
Golden eagle nests have been shown to contain a MASSIVE range of prey items, from rats to red deer calves, and for birds even wider! Jackdaws, Hooded crow, Magpie, Peregrine, Merlin, Buzzard, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Grouse, Heron, Pheasant to name but a few.
I dont have a rose tinted view of Eagle owls, i definately dont have a desire to hug one... I'm aware of what they are and what they can and will do.
I love Buzzards and the thought of something killing alot of them worries me, in Holland Eagle owls are decimating the Buzzard population.
Are Eagle owls likely to become common if left unchecked in the UK? No not in a million years... Why? Because, why are hen harriers and most other raptors not common in the UK... Many land owners will kill them on sight, within the law or not, and an Eagle Owl is a big target for a 12 bore.
I do agree to you overall point of view Vincent.
EDIT: Just come across this...
http://www.owls.org/News/eagle_owl.htm
They seem to be of the opinion that there is a breeding wild population in Scotland and should be considered a british species?! This seems to be going a little far?
Discussion
6 repliesWith a breeding pair publicly announced and location given.
Its not a million miles from me, and should the weather been good this weekend, i'm tempted to go and visit.
Info here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/6698873.stm
The location is being policed and footpaths closed.
One interesting thing i read on bird forums was that Oil rig workers had seen them flying west from mainland europe?! Now if true that would give a point towards true expansion.
Thoughts?
(yes i know i started a thread about this a year or so ago )
My thoughts are that if the species have escaped from captivity, then a close watch needs to be kept on them, to see what sort of impact they're having on our native wildlife. If they have spread here under their own steam, then good luck to them.
I think careful monitoring is the key here, so we can learn more about the status and impact of these birds before making any decisions.
Just my thoughts anyway!
Impressive Owls I know, I work with them closely & what an impressive species they are, On the loose & breeding in the wild in the UK now that's a different matter & a cocktail for disaster. Are they really coming in from Europe? personally that makes me laugh. Are these two the young of an illegally released pair?
For the area where they are nesting & the areas where the young will eventually disperse to, you might as well say goodbye to what used to live there, talk about the unbalance of nature.
With the media coverage that will be created by this new pair, it will be guaranteed that more & more unwanted Eagle Owls will be secretly illegally released from captivity to the wild. Might be a good thing as they are shutting footpaths to the countryside because of their presence & the attacks on dog walkers & humans.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1184267.mostviewed.rare_owl_spotted_in_bolton.php
scroll down to the last commet....sad ....
there was some good info on the wikipedia too
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Eagle_Owl
looks like a magnificent bird
Good to hear from you Vince !
Tony B.
Thing is vincent, the prey of the eagle owl is pretty similar to that of a golden eagle. Which also eats anything with legs and feathers, and people would be double doe eyed if it was them breeding... But i agree if they are from released birds they should be captured or (though i would hate it) destroyed.
I cannot see how any DNA testing will help to prove their origin, I was talking about this last night with a few friends who are schedule 1 ringers, we were not convinced that DNA can prove that they are migrating over from Europe.
On the migratory issues, until proven it surely must be taken into account that the Eagle Owls breeding in the UK could be from captive stock whether we like it or not, on the other hand they could be the off-spring of what as already bred in the country. An important fact must be that the fist breeding pair were introduced, that is until proven that is, this now is irrelevant due to the numbers that are now wild bred! Now here & creating a vast amount of interest, monitoring is definitely a key issue but this should be done with great caution taking into account the other species that inhabit the locations they are ending up. One day someone will be honest & admit that the Eagle Owl was an introduced species.
What bothers me most about the Eagle Owl saga is their availability as pets together with the low price tag they can be purchased for, that saddens me. My biggest concern overall if I was to be honest is the huge number of captive breeding stock we have in this country & the thoughtless breeding programs that take place annually, if you put this with the large amount of unwanted Eagle Owls that are kept in peoples back gardens the problems are a nightmare. With the media coverage that will follow this new pair of Eagle Owls & the statements that are being made that they are migrating from Europe; this will encourage more irrespirable people to illegally release their birds to the wild & this will be in areas that are not suitable. I just wish that one day; DEFRA, Natural England, RSPB, RSPCA, Zoos & the Falconry world took control of the captive breeding that goes on especially within the back gardens of housing estates, for me the future breeding & selling of birds to the public should be discontinued or banned!
Issues that don’t stack up on the migration. An Eagle Owl will not fly for long periods of time; they are too cumbersome & too heavy. For the main bird, the female, she can easily weigh up to 11 to 14lbs; this is a lot of weight to carry for long periods of time especially if she was coming under attack from seabirds out at sea.
She will have too many conflicting species that would hinder her if she attempting a long haul flight, this is why they fly short distances & have a flight path that is very low to the ground, flying high would be a dangerous exercise & would simply put the Owl in a vulnerable situation of being attacked. Seabirds as we all know are very defensive with any predator, imagine if a single large Eagle Owl or target of this kind was spotted in flight in the middle of the Sea or even on the coast line, I don’t think the seabird population would say hello to it & wish it a happy journey, they would simply attempt to beat it down with the attempt to drive it into the sea. It is beyond me to even think that an Eagle Owl will fly over a 100 miles of sea from mainland Europe to an island it doesn’t know it’s there, that would be one hell of a suicidal mission & for what, to catch fluffy bunnies & to breed? For young Eagle Owls to think about migrating, these would not have the nerve/mentality/stamina to make such a dangerous journey. Intelligence & dry land is the key to survival & for the Eagle Owl this makes migratory overseas non feasible.
Regarding the Eagle Owls prey species being similar to that of a Golden Eagle, how wrong this can be, Eagle Owls have a much larger prey range than most other bird predators.
Below is an idea of prey species & species that would be taken out to remove conflict.
Ground Prey can range from anything the size of a small fox, dog, cat & even down to the size of a small tit-bit of a Vole, Rabbits obviously will be the main prey species in the UK as they are more vulnerable, what happens if rabbit numbers run low? With Eagle Owlets at the nest, the prey species must be the size to enable it to be flown back to the nest. Out of breeding season, size of prey would vary as long as it can be devoured in a safe place that provides all round visibility, this would be important for the Eagle Owls safety.
Birds that can be taken by Eagle Owls: These can be Buzzard size down to small ground nesting birds, smaller Owls can also be included. For an Eagle Owl, catching a bird can be an easy task especially if the hunted bird’s flight is sluggish, Eagle Owls can take birds in flight with ease if the opportunity arises. At around dusk or during the night would be a preferred time for an Eagle Owl to take this kind of action, Eagle Owls have great memories especially if it is creating conflict with it within the area it inhabits, they will easily mark the location where a conflicting bird will return to roost, the easier the catch the less energy it will use to make the kill, the aim would be conserve energy & not waste it.
Gaining a territory: Diurnal birds in the Eagle Owls territory will naturally create confliction, if the situation arises the Eagle Owl will take on any conflict, for the Eagle Owls their time will take place more so under the cover of darkness when the Eagle Owl as the upper hand. Never under estimate the Eagle Owl & don’t be misled by thinking it simply survives on fluffy bunnies. It’s a majestic species, a powerful hunter, unforgiving, very calculated & deadly when it chooses to be. Wildlife in this country have never encountered such a predator, oh they might have done before the UK broke away from Europe, that could explain why fossil remains of Eagle Owls were found in the UK.
Please forgive me for rambling on like this; believe it or not, the Eagle Owl is a species I have a lot of time for & for me this is a species I admire a hell of a lot especially as I am honoured to work with them in a natural way. For others though who just observe their lives through a scope & at a safe distance, sometimes the whole picture surrounding them is lost or forgotten.
Vincent Jones
Barn Owl Centre
DNA:
If the birds are pure European Eagle Owl, then they "may" be birds which have moved due to over crowding in Holland. A DNA test would show if they have any African or Asian Eagle owl species cross breeding.
Migration:
Though it is not likely, it is also not impossible, and will given the right situation, happen. The report of a Oil Station worker seeing a large brown owl on an oil rig, would suggest a Eagle owl.
Food:
"Regarding the Eagle Owls prey species being similar to that of a Golden Eagle, how wrong this can be, Eagle Owls have a much larger prey range than most other bird predators. "
Golden eagle nests have been shown to contain a MASSIVE range of prey items, from rats to red deer calves, and for birds even wider! Jackdaws, Hooded crow, Magpie, Peregrine, Merlin, Buzzard, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Grouse, Heron, Pheasant to name but a few.
I dont have a rose tinted view of Eagle owls, i definately dont have a desire to hug one... I'm aware of what they are and what they can and will do.
I love Buzzards and the thought of something killing alot of them worries me, in Holland Eagle owls are decimating the Buzzard population.
Are Eagle owls likely to become common if left unchecked in the UK? No not in a million years... Why? Because, why are hen harriers and most other raptors not common in the UK... Many land owners will kill them on sight, within the law or not, and an Eagle Owl is a big target for a 12 bore.
I do agree to you overall point of view Vincent.
EDIT: Just come across this...
http://www.owls.org/News/eagle_owl.htm
They seem to be of the opinion that there is a breeding wild population in Scotland and should be considered a british species?! This seems to be going a little far?