SHORT-EARED OWL. 299 



sometimes flying at a considerable elevation and on approach- 

 ing the land lowering in their flight and alighting on the 

 nearest terra firma. During a north-east wind in October 1881, 

 while out wild-fowling, I noticed an Owl falling "out of space," 

 like a collapsed baloon, over the sand-hillls. A sailor who 

 had been to Norway told me that while his ship was in port, 

 about the time of full moon, he saw one of these Owls fly 

 high in the air at dusk and shape a course which would land 

 it on the Yorkshire coast. Like the Woodcock, and many 

 other migrants, these birds take advantage of the moon's 

 light for their journey over-sea ; they arrive on our seaboard 

 at all hours of the day from early morn till late afternoon. 

 Two came over at 5-30 p.m. on 22nd September 1881, and 

 other two at 6-30 p.m. on the following day ; and they are 

 met with, on first arrival, in most unlikely places. On 30 th 

 October 1902, my spaniel flushed one from underneath a boat 

 standing on the road near my house, and within twenty yards 

 of the front door, and it is by no means an unusual event 

 in an east coast seaside town to see them in the cottage 

 gardens, or on the premises adjoining fishermen's dwellings. 



The Short-eared Owl is seldom reported on the return 

 passage in spring ; one is recorded on i6th May 1843, on the 

 sea banks near Redcar ; the only instance of its occurrence 

 at this period which has come under my observation was on 

 the I7th of the same month, in 1882, at the Tees Breakwater, 

 though one was noted at Spurn as late as the 25th of May 

 in 1881. 



As a resident, this species is either overlooked, or rare. 

 From the extensive moors of north-west Yorkshire, which 

 offer every attraction as breeding haunts, it is reported as 

 frequent near Carperby in Wensleydale, among the heather 

 in the breeding season, but the nest has not been seen (Nat. 

 1886, p. 183) ; Mr. T. Whitwell, keeper, of Swainby, has told 

 me that when he was keeper at Leyburn, about the year 1890, 

 he found three nests of the Short-eared Owl, one containing 

 twelve eggs, and I have seen a pair of the birds which were 

 killed there in the breeding season ; in June 1903, young 

 ones were captured near Masham, having doubtless been bred 



