THE LITTLE OWL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 21

THE LITTLE OWL.

SOME INFORMATION" AS TO ITS V HABITS. From an article in a recent issue of tho Field it appears that the little owl is now thoroughly acclimatised in the Midland counties of England, as well as in Kent and Hampshire. As the little' owl (Athene noctua) will soon be fairly numerous in Otago, it would Be interesting to obtain accurate information as to the manner in which it is adapting itself to the changed circumstances. The following information is from an article in the Field by E. St. G. Betts: — Pasture and meadow land, pine and larch woods, -appear to be equally acceptable to this adaptable little bird. In all these situations the little owl suffers more from"" the persecution of blackbirds, thrushes, and smaller birds than the threo other epecics of owls common to the neighbourhood. Guided by the sounds of strife, one may walk in the early evening towards th'ft hedgerow -ish. confident as to the cause of disturbance. When within 50 or 60 yards of the tree the owl will take wing Sad fly with "dipping" flight some 150 yards out into the grass field, where it is undoubtedly engaged in transacting business among beetles, insects, slugs, , etc., upon which it is known to feed freely. Should the bird be walked up again- it will fly with undulations as marked as those of the jrreen woodpeckei to some more distant tree, the last dip ending in an upward sweep peculiar to the bird, which carries it to a lateral branch perhaps two-thirds of the tree's height. The flight, in my experience, with the exception of the switchboard movement just mentioned, js straight, strong, and decided, with quick ■and intermittent wing flaps, and has nothing uncertain and butterfly-like about it, as has-been sometimes stated. Tho flight of the little owl by daylight in thicklywooded cpuntry appears to be very skilful and rapid, and is, I think, often undertaken to rid the bird of his small, tormentors. These, comet-like, are drawn in the wake of the owl, and continue to indicate its whereabouts. During June of this year, > while watching" a full-grown young lont*eared owl, a little owl, put to flight in the manner just described, flew towards and past me; but I heard no demonstration made against the long-eared owls in this wood, although these undoubtedly deiour more small birds than any other specie?. I do not think enough 6tre6s _ hu been laid on the extent to which tho little owl is diurnal in its habits. It is to be observed in any locality at almost any time of the day, and apparently ir not affected by strong light. During the past sprint; mv brother found three nests of the little owl. The first, ' in an old elm long tenanted by tawny owls, was found on April 25 with four egga. Tho bird was sitting, but the eggs were fresh. The second was found in a pollard willow on May 9 with two eggrs, one nearly round. In a depression near to this nesii were the remains of a fre»hiy-killed thrush and also a freshly-killed mouse. The third nest was found on May 12 in a rotten ash. and contained four efrsrs, which were sliphtly incubated. The" species makes choice of a variety of breeding places, for it is said sometimes to show"*, predilection for nesting in hovels, and in the Field of June 13 a nest ie recorded from Uppingham jrhtcn was found in a manner containing stakes and planto, while the- late Lord Lilford remarked that in" Spain it breeds amon& the roots of fallen trees. The diet of the little owl is extremely varied. It is said to feed on mice, bats, small birds, insects, beetles, earthworms, cockroaches, snails, slugs, and caterpillars, while the nest mentioned above as found in a manffer contained half a water vat. five small frogs, and a young thrush. There can be little doubt that the many individuals of this species which may now be found throughout the counts of Rutland ami Leicestershire arc defendant* of those birds which were turned out by Lord Lilford, on vaiious occasions before the year 1888. although liberation* have been nLln ir Hants Sussex, Kent, and Yorkshire Record' of the little II in .ho Ut«*t bird lists for Notts and of thow birds for tho fii-f time >n. Clifton (;,' c near to No'.tinjrham. dunna the ,ft May. and Mr J. ™i taker, of *»;"" worth Lo<lrc near Mau«fiehl. believed that rr p t-«ic breeding in life neighbourhood.