Re: Squeaking owls - Malcolm?

In message <amh67-5C618F.10533710072006@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Andrew Hickley <amh67@xxxxxxxxx> writes
Probably Little. Their commonest call is a sharp, high-pitched,
"kee-ew", descending in pitch between the two notes. The pair will call
to each other often quite excitedly.

Very sadly, I found a little owl drowned in one of our troughs the other
day. I guess there are no puddles or wet ditches and it fell in trying
to drink and couldn't get out. I was far sadder about this than a lamb
not making it for example, don't know why (although I'm sure Oz would
have an idea...)

How does one stop this sort of thing happening?

This was discussed a couple of years ago, after Oz and I both reported similar occurrences. I think he used something floating in the tank. In my case I cover the tank when there are no cattle in the field. It may be that an unused tank with green water is more dangerous, because it may look like a solid surface to the owl.

ISTR seeing somewhere, cattle troughs with large rectangles of polystyrene floating in them, covering most of the surface. I think the idea was to stop algae growth, but it could well stop birds drowning as well. The cattle could still drink by just pushing the floats down.

Unfortunately, the little owls which nested in one of our barns for several years have gone now.

--
David Hartley
.

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