Wednesday, February 04, 2009

LEO, I love you

Every winter there is an influx of birds from the continental landmass, coming to Britain to get away from the really bad weather and to find the food which is missing on the home territory. Some are regular, like Fieldfares, Redwing and Starling, others are irregular, being abundant in some winters and scarce in others. Last winter, for example, we had lots of Bramblings, but very few this year. Conversely, Long-eared Owls were scarce last year, but there has been a real influx in the last month. LEOs (you gotta use the jargon if you want to appear cool) like to roost in dense hedges in an upright posture, often pressing themselves very close to the trunk, so, despite their spectacular appearance, they can be very hard to see. So, what you do is trawl along the hedgerows looking for splashings. Don't tell me I don't know shit.

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