At Home with Wild Nature 



victim has also been in the same position, on account of 

 the fact that the bird's flight feathers are covered with 

 fine sound-eliminating down. 



The long-eared owl is a lover of dark fir woods, and 

 does not leave their gloomy recesses by day unless dis- 

 turbed or has reason to consider its young ones in 

 danger. It adopts the old nest of a carrion crow, 

 sparrow-hawk, or wood pigeon in which to lay its eggs, 

 but if none of these sites should happen to be available 

 it will readily make a home on the ground under a bush 

 or tuft of heather. Its prey consists of rats, voles, 

 mice and small birds, and, in some districts, I have 

 known it to work terrible havoc among the last 

 named. 



The short-eared owl is a comparatively rare breeding 

 species in the British Islands, but in the autumn its 

 ranks are considerably swollen by migrants from the 

 Continent. In many parts of the country it is known as 

 the woodcock owl, no doubt from the fact that it 

 generally arrives upon our shores at about the same 

 time as the members of that well-known species. It 

 feeds largely upon short-tailed field voles, and at nests 

 I have had under observation from time to time in the 

 Outer Hebrides the food brought home for the young 

 ones has consisted almost entirely of the bodies of these 

 " wee tim'rous beasties." In dull weather the short- 

 eared owl may be seen hunting its prey during any hour 

 of the day. 



Owing to some favourable combination of circum- 

 stances, such as an absence of natural enemies in the 



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