Let’s start another of these threads- favourite Owls; 10 species, in my case all seen in the wild-
11. Okay, but I’m going to mention Long-whiskered Owlet even if it doesn’t make top 10, as the sighting was so brief; probably the steepest walk I have ever done in the dark!
10. Burrowing Owl; always charismatic
9. Hume’s Owl; real Israeli wilderness (and it took two trips to nail it!)
8. Buffy Fish Owl; seen from a night cruise in Borneo
7. Marsh Owl; flying over the marshes where the last Slender-billed Curlew were wintering
6. Barn Owl; always graceful and a pleasure to watch
5. Spectacled Owl; a wonderful pair on the Pipeline Road, Panama
4. Short-eared Owl; such a pleasure to have them wintering on the local marshes; mind you, the experience of watching them hunting storm petrels in the Galapagos while Bryde’s Whale breached in the background takes some beating!
The top 3 show why Finland is so great for owls (and Ural, Pygmy, Eagle and Tengmalm’s don’t even make the list!)
3. Snowy owl; whether in a Lincolnshire field or on the Machair of the Outer Hebrides, spectacular, but at its best perched on a farm out-building in Finnish snow
2. Northern Hawk Owl at the nest and perching on top of scattered trees; such a unique shape
1 Great Grey Owl; best experience seeing three almost fully grown chicks at the nest with a parent in close attendance, and then, as we were leaving finding the other parent perched up on guard.
11. Okay, but I’m going to mention Long-whiskered Owlet even if it doesn’t make top 10, as the sighting was so brief; probably the steepest walk I have ever done in the dark!
10. Burrowing Owl; always charismatic
9. Hume’s Owl; real Israeli wilderness (and it took two trips to nail it!)
8. Buffy Fish Owl; seen from a night cruise in Borneo
7. Marsh Owl; flying over the marshes where the last Slender-billed Curlew were wintering
6. Barn Owl; always graceful and a pleasure to watch
5. Spectacled Owl; a wonderful pair on the Pipeline Road, Panama
4. Short-eared Owl; such a pleasure to have them wintering on the local marshes; mind you, the experience of watching them hunting storm petrels in the Galapagos while Bryde’s Whale breached in the background takes some beating!
The top 3 show why Finland is so great for owls (and Ural, Pygmy, Eagle and Tengmalm’s don’t even make the list!)
3. Snowy owl; whether in a Lincolnshire field or on the Machair of the Outer Hebrides, spectacular, but at its best perched on a farm out-building in Finnish snow
2. Northern Hawk Owl at the nest and perching on top of scattered trees; such a unique shape
1 Great Grey Owl; best experience seeing three almost fully grown chicks at the nest with a parent in close attendance, and then, as we were leaving finding the other parent perched up on guard.
