Owls of Wild Ingleborough

Wild Ingleborough Project Assistant, Dwayne Martindale, takes closer look at five fascinating species

The Wild Ingleborough programme combines the Ingleborough National Nature Reserve with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserves in the area, creating a connected network of nature reserves ranging from the running waters of the River Ribble, through the deep grykes of the limestone pavements and up onto the windy ridge of the mighty Ingleborough itself.

A range of habitats such as this creates the opportunities for nature to thrive. Grasslands, moorlands, woodlands and walls. Meadows, barns, and blanket bogs. These are all habitats that our fascinating owl species at Wild Ingleborough take advantage of.

Owls are birds of prey that have adapted to more nocturnal hunting habits and their unique physical characteristics and behaviours have captivated humanity for thousands of years. They inspire folklore and poetry, are revered by artists and photographers, and are the fascination of all who are lucky enough to see one.

Let’s take a closer look at our five fascinating owl species that call Wild Ingleborough their home!

Barn owl

One of the most iconic and widespread owls in the UK, the ethereal and spirit-like barn owl is unmistakable. Eyes of jet black are set in a snowy heart-shaped face, with the white underparts of the owl’s body and wings giving it a spectral appearance in flight. The barn owl has golden-buff upperparts with a mottling of grey and looks like no other British owl.

Barn owls are widespread across Britain. Most nesting sites are in old barns, ruins and the roofs of outbuildings on farmland bordering grassland hunting grounds. Naturally occurring nest sites would include hollow trees, caves and cliff crevices although much like house martins, they have adapted to using man-made structures for their shelter and security – up to 80 percent of barn owl nests are now in man-made structures or nest boxes. From within the nest box you may hear the shrill shrieking of barn owls, which do not hoot but rather have a hoarse screech for a call which has struck a chill in the hearts of mankind (and rodent kind) for centuries.

Rats, voles, mice and shrews are all on the menu for barn owls. The lush and varied grasslands and meadows of Wild Ingleborough offer ample quarry for the owl and though they hunt at night they can also be seen at dawn and dusk on the field margins. Barn owls have incredible ears that can detect and pinpoint the slightest vole movements. The silent, ghostly hunting habit means the victim of the owl never knows they are there as the owl suddenly swoops down with talons bared.

Where to see at Wild Ingleborough? – Ashes Pasture, Ashes Shaw, Bellfield’s Pasture, Brae Pasture, Colt Park Meadows.

Look to the field edges and fence posts for perching owls.

Tawny owl

The tawny owl is possibly more famous for its hooting call than its appearance. If you hear an owl in the night, there is a very good chance it is a tawny owl, or two! The typical ‘t’wit – t’woo’ call we know and read about is a combination of two tawny owl calls. The ‘hoo…hoo-hoo-hoo-hoooooo’ call we hear is from the male, calling out to let potential mates and rival owls know they are around! The ‘ke’wick’ call, in reply, comes from the female. We should perhaps change ‘twit-twoo’ to ‘hoohoo-kewick’!

Like the barn owl, tawny owls have large black eyes that are adapted to nocturnal hunting conditions. They have stunning plumage patterns which give them incredibly effective camouflage, making them a difficult owl to see even if you are looking straight at them! Their bark-like plumage ranges from reddish-brown hues to shades of grey, adapted to woodland habitat with plenty of tree and ivy cover. Though tree cover is relatively low in the Yorkshire Dales, there are pockets of woodland on the edges of farmland and in Wild Ingleborough’s reserves that provide the nesting and hunting conditions for tawny owls to live.

The tawny owl diet consists of rodents and small birds, sometimes supplemented with earthworms and reptiles, though as you might expect it is the field voles which are preyed on the most as usual! Tawny owls hunt at night and are seldom seen in the day unless you find them roosting in a tree, conserving energy for the midnight hunt.

Tawny owl pairs usually breed for life and individuals return to their established roosts year after year making a known roost a reliable spot for sightings.

Where to see at Wild Ingleborough? – Ashes Shaw, Ashes Pasture, Bellfield’s Pasture, Colt Park Wood.

Look in the trees and listen for their calls.

Little owl

The little owl is aptly named at just 22cm tall, it is the smallest owl in Britain. Little owls are not native to the UK and were introduced during the 19th century. They have become naturalised and widespread throughout England and Wales, though their appearance and charm have made them a beloved newcomer for those who see one.

Frowning white eyebrows above bright yellow eyes and squat bodies make this owl not only distinctive but also quite amusing! They are mostly brown with white speckles on their upperparts and lighter coloured with a speckled breast underneath and relatively long legs for their size.

Their habitat is a mix of agricultural land and woodland, favouring farm buildings and hollow trees as nesting sites. These owls seem to enjoy perching on fence posts, tree stumps and drystone walls – they happen to look very much like a copestone when sat on a gritstone wall! As a result, they can occupy both urban and rural areas which is a factor of their success in becoming well established in England.

Little owls are adapted to daytime hunting as their diet consists mainly of invertebrates such as beetles, resulting in distinctive beetle carapace loaded owl pellets on the tops of walls around Ingleborough. Their bright yellow eyes indicate daytime hunting adaptation as opposed to the obsidian black eyes of the night owls which need to absorb more light. Daytime hunting and prominent perching habits make this owl more easily seen.

Where to see at Wild Ingleborough? – Ashes Shaw, Ashes Pasture, Brae Pasture, Swarth Moor.

Roadside, fenceposts and drystone walls.

Short-eared owl

Our largest species of owl, the short-eared owl is a breathtaking sight on the fell. Large, amber eyes are set in their heart-shaped disc face. Their feathers are barred on their long wings with dark patches at their ‘wrists’ on the upper wing and underwing. Their large wings and deep flapping in flight make it a distinctive and remarkable owl to see on the wing. They have two small feathery tufts atop their heads which gives them their ‘short-eared’ name though these are difficult to see from a distance.

Short-eared owls like an open, treeless, rough grassland habitat unlike the previous owl species who appreciate some woodland or at least an old barn. This puts their range more in the upland areas such as the Pennines and Ingleborough with the surrounding fells and moors is no exception.

These owls are ground nesting birds, and they make their nests in long grasses and heather by making a shallow hollow for their brood. Like other owls, they use their sense of hearing to pinpoint the movements of voles in the undergrowth as they hunt on their moorland and blanket bog habitats on the fells. They hunt during the day especially at dusk as their eyes are adapted to these light conditions rather than the darkness of night.

It is once again bad news for the short-tailed field voles as they are a favourite food and main prey species of this owl, along with other rodents, small birds and insects.

Where to see at Wild Ingleborough? – South House Moor, Southerscales Fell, Whit-a-Green, Fleet Moss.

Go up onto the grassy hill tops, heathery moorland and restored blanket bogs before sundown.

Long-eared owl

This owl is a rare sight, and you can consider yourself lucky if you manage to catch a glimpse of one, as these owls are rarely active in the day and well camouflaged in their woodland habitat.

They get their ‘long-eared’ name from the pointy feathered tufts on their head, which of course are not ears at all, but certainly help make this species easier to identify for the lucky birder. They have dark amber eyes set in an orange disc face, with a creamy coloured division between the eyes, giving them an unmistakable facial appearance. They are not as large as the short-eared relative, but at 34cm they are still a remarkable sight.

Tree cover is a must for these owls, the denser the better. In the Ingleborough area the remaining clumps of mature woodland and small copses make for roosting sites, and they also favour the edges of the coniferous timber plantations in the area. It is hoped that in the future the tree planting schemes of Wild Ingleborough will create more suitable habitats and conditions for long-eared owls to thrive and create more nesting sites.

Where to see at Wild Ingleborough? – Swarth Moor, Colt Park Wood, Ashes Shaw.

Look for roosting birds and movements at sundown.

Conclusion

Clearly, it is of great importance to create and conserve a broad range of habitats and ecological conditions to allow our five incredible owl species to thrive at Wild Ingleborough and beyond.

A mix of rough grasslands with perches and roost sites, woodland edges for cover and camouflage, open moors and dense pockets of trees are all needed to support these enigmatic and amazing birds of prey.

You can find out more about Wild Ingleborough, how this landscape-scale programme is restoring nature and how you can donate towards it by visiting the Wild Ingleborough website, and social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

If you are interested in volunteering and getting involved with our Practical Conservation Task Days, you can book on to our events hosted on Eventbrite, or register as a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Volunteer on our website.

A beautiful pink sunrise over Ashes Pasture.

Ashes Pasture - (C) John Potter

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