Owls well at WWT Arundel
There are always owls at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre. In autumn and winter we see the whitewash of barn owls, revealing where they have been hunting from in the rafters of our hides. We also hear tawny owls calling while staff leave at days end. In winter we often see barn owls flying off to hunt, on overcast afternoons when the days are shorter. In spring and summer we are sometimes treated to views of young owlets - like this year!
Barn owl babes
The Reserve Team wardens did a barn owl nest box check at the end of June which revealed three nearly fledged owlets and one much younger downy chick. In previous years we have only seen a maximum of three barn owlets. This nest box check requires climbing a very tall pole using a very tall ladder, which is taken across to the owl box island on a boat.
On July 4th the Team went back to ring the owlets. Barn owls are Schedule 1 birds that are checked and ringed at WWT Arundel under license. The Wardens discovered that the smaller chick had disappeared, likely eaten by older siblings (which is common). One of the older birds had already fledged and left the box but two were ringed. These two female owlets received regular BTO rings plus new colour rings as part of a new project. When you are next owl watching, look for red leg rings marked AFK and AFL to check if they are our Arundel barn owls.
A pair of fluffy female barn owl chicks at their leg ringing on July 4
May Tawnies
Earlier this spring regular visitors Rob & Diane Collins photographed a tawny owlet sitting in a smaller nest box on a tree along the boat safari route on Thursday 9 May. Fluffy tawny owlets spend most of their time asleep, awakening only to beg for food from adults.
On Monday 13 May the owlet was spotted "branching" higher up in the tree that has the nest box. Tawny owls leave the nest to scramble around branches before they can fly. This is the first time that tawny owls have used one of our nest boxes at this end of the reserve. Visitors on the Wetlands Discovery Boat Safari had good views of the owlet for a few days.
Since then staff have seen two tawny owlets branching in trees along the edge of the car park on June’s bat survey and one tawny owlet at the Wood Loop end of the reedbed on July’s bat survey.
Since then staff have seen two tawny owlets branching in trees along the edge of the car park on June’s bat survey and one tawny owlet at the Wood Loop end of the reedbed on July’s bat survey.
Fowler, the Big Hoot! Owl
In July we welcomed another owl to Arundel - this one is named Fowler! Fowler is a sculpture of an adult Eurasian Eagle Owl who has been decorated with wetland birds by Ben Cavanaugh, a mural artist and illustrator based in Littlehampton. Fowler was named by artist Ben's wife but we are tickled that it is also the surname of our own CEO Sarah Fowler!
Fowler is one of the 30 large owls that make up The Big Hoot trail this summer across Arundel & Chichester to raise money for Chestnut Tree House. To find out more about the trail visit www.thebighoot.co.ukor https://www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/events/the-big-hoot-art-trail/
