LONG-EARED OWL 



sunset quartering the moors, and if a mouse or mole so much as 

 shows itself, the hunter will stop in his flight and throw himself 

 down in the grass, and in nine cases out of ten his sharp talons 

 do not miss the prey, as the loud, piercing cry from the captured 

 animal will testify. The flight of this Owl is well-nigh perfection, 

 and he is able to twist and turn with the greatest ease ; and if 

 in his early evening flight he should happen to come across a small 

 bird which has not gone to roost, it would have a poor chance 

 of escaping. 



Only a short time ago I witnessed a sharp but exciting race 

 between a Short-eared Owl and a Pipit on a Hebridean moor. The 

 Owl was slowly flying over the heather when the Pipit flew up, 

 and the Owl instantly followed. Although the smaller bird seemed 

 at first to have the advantage in flight and powers of dodging, the 

 Owl very soon gained and cleverly snapped it up, and as the 

 hunter flew to a little grassy knoll to enjoy his meal, I saw 

 floating down on the still summer air just one small feather which 

 told of the tragedy that had just taken place. 



The Long-eared Owl is found not only in such wild places as 

 described, for in most counties it would, I expect, be possible to 

 find him, but the dense forest is pre-eminently his home. There 

 is one well-known and ancient haunt in Surrey, but this is 

 overrun by egg-collectors in the early part of the year, and few 

 of the birds really succeed in rearing a family. In any very 

 large pine wood we should be almost certain to find one or 

 more pairs of the Long-eared Owl. 



They are early breeders, laying their eggs in February or early 

 March, and instead of building a nest of their own they select a 

 Squirrel's old drey, or some other old nest or platform of sticks, 

 on which to lay their eggs. 



This species is silent, compared with some of our other Owls. 

 Its note, not often uttered, is a shrill, tremulous, plaintive cry, or 



89 T 



