December 2023

[zigzag_wanderer]

Yes, I'm very jealous of his camera skills !

There's been a big recent influx of short-eared owls into East Yorks, which is what drew him to Bempton. He lives in Hull, so not too far.

He even managed to capture one getting attacked by a Kestrel. Quote from my brother:

I don't know who was in the right but the Kestrel was very vocal in its
dispute with one of the owls. The owl had the rodent in its claw when
the Kestrel came at it for about the third time and caused it to drop
it. The owl did seem to drop down afterwards to try to retrieve it, but
it didn't look from the other photos as if it succeeded.

[Wolfson]

Great photograph of the rodent being dropped. The kestrels near me perch in trees watching the Barn Owls feeding and “mug” the owl. My observation is they nearly always succeed. Not good for the owls in this wet winter, but owls hunting in daylight must offer some benefit.

[zigzag_wanderer]

Very interesting ! As mentioned in a previous post I have witnessed a buzzard and barn owl tussling on the ground for what seemed a good length of time (at dusk on the tarmac just outside Bempton Cliffs car park, funnily enough). The buzzard was definitely the aggressor, with the owl taking up an effective defensive posture keeping the former at talon's length and it eventually managed to escape. I didn't see what happened in the air prior to the tussle, but the buzzard seemed more intent on the owl itself than any prey it might have had, so presumably the owl was the prey target (large and as physically capable as it was) ..... or possibly it was a turf war battle ?

I've never been lucky enough to witness kestrels in any such combat situation. It's hard for me to think of such small, beautiful falcons who I can watch for ages when wind-hovering as being so aggressive to larger birds of prey. But a ready-meal's a ready meal !

[Charles Nicol]

Good luck to both of you ! I don't do any social media unless this counts (I already have high enough blood pressure), but a lady I work with is on the Waxwing Winter 23/24 Facebook site which she says is very good. I just stick to the Sussex Ornithology Society's Sightings page. It often helps us decide where we're going to go for a Sunday afternoon stroll, just on the off chance we might see something....we normally don't.

If you're lucky enough to see them in the first place and in bright sunlight, then you are doubly blessed. I've never managed the latter, but have a small silhouette collection that wouldn't have looked out of place on an early Victorian mantlepiece.

My brother took a trip to Bempton Cliffs in mid-December in good East Yorkshire light (snaps below). As a man of simple pleasures, just to see a Tree Sparrow in Sussex would make me very happy !

thank you so much for this useful information zigzag ! my car has been playing up, preventing me from looking for Waxwings. hopefully i will be getting a new one in the next few days