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The Little Owls are now fully active and busy feeding four chicks. This is the best time of year for photographing these amusing birds as they are visiting the perches for long periods in order to feed their young. We still have hide spaces available over the bank holiday weekend. Four Little Owl owlets in the nest box – around ten days old. Little Owl Little Owl Little Owl Little Owl
Today I had one of the best days up at the Tawny Owl wood. The Male bird was landing on all of the hide props to collect food and then return to feed the female, who in turn was feeding the owlets. The owlets have been branching for sometime now and are getting closer to the hide. These pictures were taken using a 500mm lens.
Tawny Owls attending to one of their owlets that is now branching.
Tawny Owlet branching.
Male Tawny Owl feeding the female.
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The Tawny Owl Owlets have started branching and the parents are busy keeping up with their growing appetites. This video was taken today down in the wood. Tawny Owl feeding Owlet Tawny Owl Owlet branching.
Hi, It feels like we have been waiting for a long time for the Little Owl owlets to fledge their nest and visit the hide – yesterday it finally happened. This is one of the best times of the year to photograph these little characters. Anyone interested can call me on: 07971 546747. Cheers, Les. Little Owl Owlets visiting the hide. Little Owl Owlets visiting the hide.
After successfully fledging the three owlets are currently exploring their world and visiting the hide for fairly lengthy sessions during these balmy summer evenings. We are currently running photography shoots from 3pm to 7pm to catch the best of the light. Anyone interested can email Les: Les@hullnews.co.uk (don’t click the reply to this email it will take you to the wrong address) or call Les on: 07971 546747.
Two Little Owl Owlets visits the hide.
Little Owl Owlet v...
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The Little Owls and Owlets are still busy down at the hide. It looks like we have three owlets from this years clutch to boost the local population. We’ll keep the hide open for the next few weeks for anyone who would like a summer session with these fantastic birds.
Best wishes, Les
Little Owl Owlet, Athene noctua, hunting on the ground, East Yorkshire, England, UK, introduced to Britain 19th century, partly diurnal.
Little Owl, Athene noctua, perched up...
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I hope that you are all well and staying safe. We are pleased to announce that after locating a new Little Owl nest site, in a fantastic old Willow Tree, we are now ready to invite our first guests. Due the Covid 19 we are using canvas hides that are suitably spaced at least two metres apart. Anyone wishing to book please contact Les on: 07971 546747 or email: les@hullnews.co.uk. Best wishes Les Little Owl by Chris Wray
After a two year break the Tawny Owl Hide here at Holme-on-Spalding-Moor will be opening once again. This is a unique opportunity to photograph these elusive Owls during daylight. Currently the female is busy in the nest box with her Owlets. Soon the adult male will be visiting the hide and after fledging the Owlets will follow. Timings are currently been monitored.
Anyone wishing to book please contact Les on: 07971 546747
or email: les@hullnews.co.uk.
Best wishes
Les
Tawny O...
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The adult Little Owls have done a great job rearing their chicks this year and, finally, the Owlets are visiting the hide. This is the best time of year for anyone looking to get some fantastic pictures of these stunning birds. Here are some taken a few days ago.
Its been a great year for the Little Owls and now the owlets are out enjoying the good weather. There are six owls all successfully hatched and branched. The birds are visiting the hide every evening, these pictures are were taken last night. If anyone would like to book the hide please contact me on email: les@hullnews.co.uk tel: 07971 546747
With the last of the warm summer nights this is a great time to photograph the Tawny Owls down at our woodland hide. The birds are visiting the perches shortly after sunset each evening. I will be on hand to give guiding help regarding lighting etc if needed. If anyone is interested in a session call Les on: 07971 546747 or email: Les@hullnews.co.uk all other information regarding prices etc can be found on my website Les Gibbon Photography.
Spent the last few weeks building and testing my new DSLR camera trap system. This picture of the Buzzard was one of my first captures taken deep inside the wood. Hopefully more to follow.
Some footage taken last Summer by Chris Wray during a visit to the Little Owl Photo Hide. Hope you enjoy!
Despite the seemingly never ending wet and cold weather that has been pounding the country two pairs of Tawny Owls, in neighbouring woods, are sat on eggs. We made the decision earlier in the year to fit cameras to all the Owl and Kestrel boxes and are now getting some amazing views.
Great News – this is what we have all been waiting for down at the Little Owl hide Now we finally seem to have a mild break in the weather the Little Owl laid her first egg on 6th April – this is nearly one week later than last year – which we put down to the recent cold snap – fingers crossed!
And then there were two! The Little Owl lays her second egg at the Les Gibbon Photography hide, Arglam Grange Farm, East Yorkshire.
The third Little Owl egg laid in spite of the cold conditions that have returned – lets hope some warmer weather is on its way! The third Little Owl egg laid in the Arglam Grange nest box.
The average clutch size for Little Owls is 3 – 4 eggs which puts our pair at the top end of this scale as they have just laid their fourth egg. We have some mild weather on its way so once again fingers crossed! The fourth Little Owl egg laid near the Arglam Grange wildlife photography hide.
The Little Owl laid her fifth egg on the 15th April 2018. She is now incubating them with the male regularly visiting the nest chamber with food supplies. The Little Owl laid her fifth egg today. She has now started to incubate her clutch, so once again, fingers crossed!
18th April 2018 The Little Owl has surprised us all and laid another egg, taking her clutch to a grand total of six – amazing! The Little Owl has surrprised us all and laid another egg, taking her clutch to a grand total of six – amazing!
I’m no twitcher, however this is one bird that I have always wanted to see wild in the UK – the Eurasian Eagle Owl. This one is living in Yorkshire and appears to have no rings or any other signs of ever been a captive bird. I know these birds are very controversial but in my opinion if it was born in the wild it should be left in peace. I found this one with my friend Paul Wray (who captured this image) and within minutes of arriving on site we both witnessed a photographer flushing...
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The Little Owl chicks have started to hatch two weeks later than last year. For anyone who would like to get some flight shots the next few weeks is the best time of year. The parent birds will be visiting the feeding station for hours trying to keep on top of the Owlets appetites before the chicks fledge and start to feed them selves. Little Owl, Athene noctua, in flight, East Yorkshire, England, UK, introduced to Britain 19th century, partly diurnal.
The resident Tawny Owls have successfully reared one owlet and are out hunting during the late afternoon early evening. This is the only time of year that they come down to the woodland hide to feed during the day. The rest of the year we have to use flash. Tawny Owl, Arglam Grange Farm, East Yorkshire.
Our three Little Owl Owlets are now down to two, we think due to the weather, one day its really hot followed by poor conditions. Three of the six eggs failed to hatch for the first time since we have been monitoring the birds with nest cameras, this is almost certainly due the the ‘beast from the east’ that plummeted the area into a scene from the arctic. So all things considered the owls are still doing well.
Also, for the first time we have a second pair of Little Owls nesting,...
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The Owlet has just started to visit the hide. I captured these pictures yesterday evening. The young one even managed a snooze on the post. Little Owl owlet, Athene noctua, stretching its wings. Little Owl owlet, Athene noctua, yawning. Little Owl owlet, Athene noctua, sleeping on a post.
Happy New Year to all.
Its been a busy time down on the farm. We have repaired and cleaned out a few of the old boxes ready for the new season. The local rodents have chewed their way through the video cables, why I do not know, which we have now replaced.
Best of all we have put up two new Kestrel nest boxes and relocated one of the Little Owl nest boxes. This involved putting in two old telegraph poles by hand! This I don’t recommend.
Amazingly the Kestrel visited the ne...
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10th March 2019
Tawny Owl under the LED light.
We’ve changed things around down at the Tawny Owl hide. With a little help from a new LED light and motion sensor its now possible to view this beautiful bird at night. The light is bright enough to use your camera’s auto focus system, get some stunning photographs and have a fantastic wildlife experience at the same time.
Tawny Owl, Strix aluco, at the Wildlife Photography Hideaways Tawny Owl hide, Arglam, East Yorksh...
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Checked the woodland hide nest box this morning and great news – the Tawny Owl is back in the same nest box that she laid in last year. 19th March 2019 Tawny Owl back in the woodland hide nest box.
The Little Owl is back on her nest and has currently laid two eggs. This year she has moved into a different tree located just around the back of the hide, which as I understand, is very unusual for these birds to change sites. It may well be that she has had some disturbance from crows or squirrels, who knows, but she seems very happy in the new box. 8th April 2019 The Little Owl in her nesting chamber with two eggs at the Les Gibbon Photography hide.
We had a busy day down at the farm today. Paul, Chris and myself managed to erect a telegraph pole with a new Kestrel nest box, hopefully just in time for the nesting season. The Kestrel has been seen in the area so fingers crossed. Also the Little Owl has laid her third eggs in the photography hide nest box. Hope to see some of you soon. Best wishes Les
We’ve had a busy weekend down at the farm. The Little Owl decided to change its nest site and has moved into an old box, around ten days ago, at the back of the hide. No one said anything at first but the ‘Elephant in the room’ was that we needed to move the hide. We called in a few favours, rallied the troops, and managed to man handle the hide in total silence and relocate it a good distance from the nest site whilst the Little Owl sat on her eggs oblivious to the work been c...
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The Tawny Owls are now feeding two chicks which means that they are out hunting and visiting the hide during the daytime. This is the only time of year that they will appear in the daylight. Last year this behaviour lasted until the chicks fledged the box in mid summer. We are running afternoon photography sessions for anyone interested in capturing these amazing birds.
Hope to see you soon,
Les.
Tawny Owl out hunting during the daytime.
Two Tawny Owl chicks in the nest box a...
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The Tawny Owls are showing well during the afternoon sessions down at the woodland hide. They are busy feeding their fast growing chicks. These fantastic flight pictures were captured by Paul Wray a couple of days ago. Tawny Owl in flight. Photo Paul Wray Tawny Owl in flight. Photo Paul Wray