Owls and Trail Cameras

[Wildlife Camera]

Hi,

After getting lots of footage of foxes, badgers, otters etc, I'm
trying my hand at birds. Woodpeckers were a relatively quick win, but
my next challenge is owls.

Do owls frequent the same place each night and have territories?

How can I attract owls to the viewing area of my camera?

Any ideas?

--
Rich
http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk

[Mike Coon]

Malcolm wrote:
> In article
> <235be197-305d-40c0...@v9g2000yql.googlegroups.com>,
> Wildlife Camera <wildlif...@gmail.com> writes

>> Hi,
>>
>> After getting lots of footage of foxes, badgers, otters etc, I'm
>> trying my hand at birds. Woodpeckers were a relatively quick win, but
>> my next challenge is owls.
>>
>> Do owls frequent the same place each night and have territories?
>>
>> How can I attract owls to the viewing area of my camera?
>>
>> Any ideas?
>>

> Yes, all owls have territories and many use the same perches very
> regularly.
>
> You could try using calls to attract Little and Tawny but you should
> try not to disrupt their normal pairing and territory defence
> behaviour.

Agreed; precisely because owls are faithful to their perching and roosting
spots it is very unfair to disturb them there.

If this is a long-term project (you sound in a bit of a hurry!) you could
find somewhere to put up a nestbox and wait for owls to find it and take
possession. I gather this can take years!

Over the years I have sent several litres of owl pellets, mostly gathered
under one large oak, to the Mammal Society for use in their prey recognition
training sessions. Their need for them was evident to me when I went on one
of those sessions...

Mike.
--
If reply address is Mike@@mjcoon.+.com (invalid), remove spurious "@"
and substitute "plus" for +.

[wildlif...@gmail.com]

Thanks for the replies so far. A plan is forming.....

When I've deployed the camera at dusk, I've often heard the distictive call of a pair of tawny owls. I will try to find owl pellets to identify a favourite perch.

I'll deploy the camera near to ground level, and scatter some seeds and peanuts to attract mice.

The first challenge will be to find the owl pellets.........


--
Rich
http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk

[Mike Coon]

wildlif...@gmail.com wrote:
> The first challenge will be to find the owl pellets.........

Ah, the Mammal Society did once "thank" me for including a fox scat in
amongst the supposed owl pellets that I had sent in...

[Spider]

On 05/12/2012 14:19, Malcolm wrote:
> X-No-Archive: yes
> In article <d53a25ee-612e-4b5c...@googlegroups.com>,
> wildlif...@gmail.com writes

> You'll be attracting attention from the Mouse Protection League!
>



You also need to remember that, in season, young birds may choke on peanuts.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

[Darkside]

In article <D-2dnXGCD8dGkCLN...@brightview.co.uk>, Mike
Coon <Mike@?.+.com> writes

>
>If this is a long-term project (you sound in a bit of a hurry!) you could
>find somewhere to put up a nestbox and wait for owls to find it and take
>possession. I gather this can take years!
>

It can but it needn't: it depends what other nesting sites are available
to the birds whose territory it's in. A nature reserve warden told me
he'd replaced a rotten disused owl box too late in the season for
nesting, only to have brown owls move in within the week. They were
successful too.
--
Sue ]:(:)

[Christina Websell]

"Darkside" <s...@blackhole.invalid> wrote in message
news:hLznvxAf...@mashtub.demon.co.uk...

What are brown owls?

[Mike Coon]

Christina Websell wrote:
> What are brown owls?

Collective noun: "an alliteration"?

[Gordon H]

In message <ai9mvj...@mid.individual.net>, Christina Websell
<spam...@tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> writes
>
>What are brown owls?
>
Leaders of Brownie Guide packs.
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

[wildlif...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, 5 December 2012 22:44:16 UTC, Gordon H wrote:
> In message <>, Christina Websell
>
> <spamnot> writes

>
> >
>
> >What are brown owls?
>
> >
>
> Leaders of Brownie Guide packs.
>
> --
>
> Gordon H
>
> Remove "invalid" to reply

That did make me chuckle!
--
Rich
http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk

[Gordon H]

In message <6cb182e5-01cd-4b6d...@googlegroups.com>,
wildlif...@gmail.com writes

>On Wednesday, 5 December 2012 22:44:16 UTC, Gordon H wrote:
>> In message <>, Christina Websell
>>
>> <spamnot> writes
>>
>> >What are brown owls?
>>
>> Leaders of Brownie Guide packs.

>> Gordon H
>>
>> Remove "invalid" to reply
>
>That did make me chuckle!
>--
>Rich
>http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk

To be serious...
I bought a wildlife camera, but was disappointed to find that it doesn't
work very well in darkness, either not triggering when the foxes visit
my garden, or if set more sensitive, - triggering many times, and I
don't want to attract attention to my garden by firing off flashes at
close intervals! :-(

[wildlif...@gmail.com]

On Friday, 7 December 2012 12:00:40 UTC, Gordon H wrote:
> In message <>
>
> >On Wednesday, 5 December 2012 22:44:16 UTC, Gordon H wrote:
>
> >> In message <>, Christina Websell
>
> >>
>
> >> <spamnot> writes
>
> >>
>
> >> >What are brown owls?
>
> >>
>
> >> Leaders of Brownie Guide packs.
>
> >> Gordon H
>
> >>
>
> >> Remove "invalid" to reply
>
> >
>
> >That did make me chuckle!
>
> >--
>
> >Rich
>
> >http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk
>
>
>
> To be serious...
>
> I bought a wildlife camera, but was disappointed to find that it doesn't
>
> work very well in darkness, either not triggering when the foxes visit
>
> my garden, or if set more sensitive, - triggering many times, and I
>
> don't want to attract attention to my garden by firing off flashes at
>
> close intervals! :-(
>
> --
>
> Gordon H
>
> Remove "invalid" to reply

Gordon,

I have an acorn ltl6210. I use it in video mode. In the day time it's full colour, at night it switches to black and white infrared. The infrared lights are completely invisible to the human eye. I put a demo video showing night-time fist then daytime at http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk/acorn-ltl-6210-mm.htm

If a bought another I'd buy the model down from this, as I don't really need to ability to transmit pics via MMS.

--
Rich
http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk

[Gordon H]

In message <5d66ec2d-8aa8-4bd4...@googlegroups.com>,
wildlif...@gmail.com writes

>On Friday, 7 December 2012 12:00:40 UTC, Gordon H wrote:
>>
>> To be serious...
>>
>> I bought a wildlife camera, but was disappointed to find that it doesn't
>> work very well in darkness, either not triggering when the foxes visit
>> my garden, or if set more sensitive, - triggering many times, and I
>> don't want to attract attention to my garden by firing off flashes at
>> close intervals! :-(
>>

>> Gordon H

>
>Gordon,
>
>I have an acorn ltl6210. I use it in video mode. In the day time it's
>full colour, at night it switches to black and white infrared. The
>infrared lights are completely invisible to the human eye. I put a demo
>video showing night-time fist then daytime at
>http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk/acorn-ltl-6210-mm.htm
>
>If a bought another I'd buy the model down from this, as I don't really
>need to ability to transmit pics via MMS.
>

>Rich
>http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk
>
Yes, it is slightly upmarket from the one I bought via the RSPB, by
about £100. :-)

[Spider]

Would a security approach light work better? We have them all around
our house and they are triggered by foxes. The fox is perfectly used to
them coming on and off and does not run away, so our security cameras
pick up 'our' foxes as they pass through the garden, be it night or day.

[Gordon H]

In message <aih8uk...@mid.individual.net>, Spider
<spi...@invalid.com> writes

Yes, I have a security camera which picks up the foxes, either in
monochrome or colour, depending whether they trigger the security light.
Some are wary of the light, others are comfortable enough to eat the
honeyed bread I put out in situ, but most carry it off into the shrubs.
--

[Christina Websell]

"Gordon H" <Gordo...@g3snx.demon.co.uk.invalid> wrote in message > Yes, I

have a security camera which picks up the foxes, either in
> monochrome or colour, depending whether they trigger the security light.
> Some are wary of the light, others are comfortable enough to eat the
> honeyed bread I put out in situ, but most carry it off into the shrubs.

You actually feed them? It's people like you that make them a nuisance for
those of us who keep chickens.
It makes them brave to come out in the day and why I lost 22 free range hens
to a daytime fox and why I have to keep my hens in huts and runs like
Colditz now.
Foxes should be afraid of humans and be around during the night, when
they're not a problem.

The daytime foxes that came again got some lead in their ear and you are
setting them up for this if you feed them and make them not afraid.
I am up for foxes passing through during the night when my
chickens are shut up. I'm not up to having my chickens killed during the
day because some people like to feed foxes.
No fox will ever kill one of my chickens without finding himself in a very
difficult position. Like trapped and shot.










not aRAID

[PAUL {HAMILTON ROONEY}]

On 20-Dec-12 10:42 AM, Christina Websell wrote:
> "Gordon H" <Gordo...@g3snx.demon.co.uk.invalid> wrote in message > Yes, I
> have a security camera which picks up the foxes, either in
>> monochrome or colour, depending whether they trigger the security light.
>> Some are wary of the light, others are comfortable enough to eat the
>> honeyed bread I put out in situ, but most carry it off into the shrubs.
>
> You actually feed them? It's people like you that make them a nuisance for
> those of us who keep chickens.

While they are dining at Gordon's they aren't raiding chickens.

> It makes them brave to come out in the day and why I lost 22 free range hens
> to a daytime fox and why I have to keep my hens in huts and runs like
> Colditz now.
> Foxes should be afraid of humans and be around during the night, when
> they're not a problem.

I'm not sure what kind of 'should' that is. Do foxes have guidelines for
their behaviour? Who issues them?

[Anne Burgess]

> The daytime foxes that came again got some lead in their ear
> and you are setting them up for this if you feed them and make
> them not afraid.
> I am up for foxes passing through during the night when my
> chickens are shut up. I'm not up to having my chickens killed
> during the day because some people like to feed foxes.
> No fox will ever kill one of my chickens without finding
> himself in a very difficult position. Like trapped and shot.

Interesting and very marked contrast between your attitude to
killing foxes and your attitude to the idea of killing cats,
Tina. Both are predators, both are suspected of killing birds.
Foxes are indigenous and accused of killing introduced birds,
cats are introduced and accused of killing indigenous birds.

<ducking swiftly below the parapet>

Anne

Anne

[Alf King]

:-D
:-D
Alf King

[David B]

"Anne Burgess" <anne.a...@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:<u6ydnUmnKcg8YE_N...@bt.com>...

Well said Anne.

:o)

D

[Gordon H]

In message <ajfc90...@mid.individual.net>, Christina Websell
<spam...@tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> writes
>

8-)
I've had this rant from you before, and it amuses me.

Are you suggesting that live chickens would be a better feast for them?
How much would live chickens cost me? They wouldn't need to be
layers of course.
I would only be staking one out on perhaps 3 days per week.

The foxes are scared sh*tless when I step outside at night, and I've
never seen one earlier than advanced dusk.

[Mike Coon]

Malcolm wrote:
> How do you know you lost your 22 hens to a fox that had been fed and
> become a "daytime" fox? Surely the more the fox is being fed by
> humans, the less it wants your hens?

Though, to be fair, that evidently does not work with domestic cats which
are usually well fed by "owners" but still like to kill birds to "keep their
paw in"... Maybe foxes are just lazy?

[PAUL {HAMILTON ROONEY}]

On 20-Dec-12 3:42 PM, Malcolm wrote:

>
> How do you know you lost your 22 hens to a fox that had been fed and
> become a "daytime" fox? Surely the more the fox is being fed by humans,
> the less it wants your hens?
>

> And to say what foxes "should" do based on past behaviour is to try and
> stand in the way of evolution.


Well, that's almost what I just said, but I'd like to add that past
behaviour and evolution are irrelevant: there are no 'should's for
foxes. To say that foxes should be hunted, for example, is a human
'should'.

[Darkside]

In article <ajjbg1...@mid.individual.net>, PAUL {HAMILTON ROONEY}
<PAULV...@SNOTMAIL.COM> writes

Foxes are scavengers rather than predators. If you look at a rural fox
turd you see mostly beetle wing cases and other insect parts and (in
season) fruit stones and pips. Urban foxes in Reading live on discarded
takeaways because wheelie-bins are compulsory, but over the boundary
where they still put out garbage in black sacks the fox diet is more
varied. I'm against feeding foxes because something's got to eat that
junk food, and foxes are preferable to rats.
Chickens? Well, if a fox is careless enough to get trapped inside a
chicken concentration camp, it attacks chickens until it either escapes
or runs out of chickens. That isn't natural behaviour: in nature the
birds would flee.
--
Sue ]:(:)

[Michael J Davis]

Darkside <s...@blackhole.invalid> was inspired to say

>Chickens? Well, if a fox is careless enough to get trapped inside a
>chicken concentration camp, it attacks chickens until it either escapes
>or runs out of chickens. That isn't natural behaviour: in nature the
>birds would flee.

I recall that, returning late from a long walk along Wharfdale, I cut
past a farm, and heard something rustling in a large bush (about 3m
high). As my eyes accustomed to the shadows in the bush, I realised
there were some 20 roosting chicken. It struck me that they were high
enough and the foliage was dense enough to protect them from foxes;
though whether they'd have panicked had a fox come I cannot say.

I guess they'd be called 'free range'.

Mike

--
Michael J Davis
<><

Having taken a few phone calls about a friend's cats while she's in hospital, I
now answer the phone:-
"Bird & cat ringing centre at your service...
Bird's legs, cat's necks..."

[Darkside]

In article <luUaeZAU...@trustsof.co.uk>, Michael J Davis
<mjdu...@trustsof.co.uk> writes

>Darkside <s...@blackhole.invalid> was inspired to say
>>Chickens? Well, if a fox is careless enough to get trapped inside a
>>chicken concentration camp, it attacks chickens until it either escapes
>>or runs out of chickens. That isn't natural behaviour: in nature the
>>birds would flee.
>
>I recall that, returning late from a long walk along Wharfdale, I cut
>past a farm, and heard something rustling in a large bush (about 3m
>high). As my eyes accustomed to the shadows in the bush, I realised
>there were some 20 roosting chicken. It struck me that they were high
>enough and the foliage was dense enough to protect them from foxes;
>though whether they'd have panicked had a fox come I cannot say.

Good point. Foxes aren't equipped to climb trees. The hens'd need to
freeze while a fox was about but fly away if a cat started climbing.

>I guess they'd be called 'free range'.

Yes. Was the farm fairly isolated?
--
Sue ]:(:)

[Paul Rooney]

On Fri 21 Dec 2012 01:01, Gordon H wrote:

>
> The foxes are scared sh*tless when I step outside at night

You should put some clothes on before you step outside, Gordon.

[Gordon H]

In message <ajocqq...@mid.individual.net>, Paul Rooney
<paulv...@snotmail.com> writes

>On Fri 21 Dec 2012 01:01, Gordon H wrote:
>
>> The foxes are scared sh*tless when I step outside at night
>
>You should put some clothes on before you step outside, Gordon.

LOL!
I haven't tried waving the fox's tail at them yet, which hangs in my
garage.

[Christina Websell]

"Malcolm" <Mal...@indaal.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:SbnVj7Cz...@indaal.demon.co.uk...
>
> In article <ajfc90...@mid.individual.net>, Christina Websell
> <spam...@tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> writes
>>

> Come off it, Tina. That's all a bit strong, even if you have suffered
> badly from foxes.

>
> How do you know you lost your 22 hens to a fox that had been fed and
> become a "daytime" fox? Surely the more the fox is being fed by humans,
> the less it wants your hens?

No. The more foxes are fed by humans the less afraid they are to come out
during the day to attack hens. Foxes should never be fed. They get too
brave if you do and eat your pet cats and break into your guinea pig huts.
Any fox here gets a bit of lead in its ear to remind it that my chickens are
out of bounds.

[Paul Rooney]

On Wed 05 Dec 2012 12:56, Wildlife Camera wrote:
> Hi,
>
> After getting lots of footage of foxes, badgers, otters etc, I'm
> trying my hand at birds. Woodpeckers were a relatively quick win, but
> my next challenge is owls.
>
> Do owls frequent the same place each night and have territories?
>
> How can I attract owls to the viewing area of my camera?
>
> Any ideas?
>
> --
> Rich
> http://www.wildlife-cam.co.uk
>
>

No, but your stuff is wonderful so keep it coming!

[Christina Websell]

"Darkside" <s...@blackhole.invalid> wrote in message

news:oqp1HjAf...@mashtub.demon.co.uk...

> In article <luUaeZAU...@trustsof.co.uk>, Michael J Davis
> <mjdu...@trustsof.co.uk> writes
>>Darkside <s...@blackhole.invalid> was inspired to say
>>>Chickens? Well, if a fox is careless enough to get trapped inside a
>>>chicken concentration camp,

Whoa!
That's totally out of order.

[Gordon H]

In message <amltlo...@mid.individual.net>, Christina Websell
<spam...@tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> writes
>

That was written 5 weeks ago, "Darkside" may by now be looking on the
brightside after all the Xmas jollity.

[Michael J Davis]

Christina Websell <spam...@tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> was inspired to
say

If you are not going to requote me, would you please remove my
attribution too? I said nothing out of order...