Short-eared Owl by Bob McMillan
One of four native owl species found in Scotland, Short-eared Owls are amongst our most under-recorded birds owing to their nocturnal and nomadic habits, and remote moorland habitat. The Kintail roost was discovered by visiting Norwegian students who reported their sighting to their group leader, who just happened to be Kenny Graham of the RSPB.
Every evening after sunset the owls have performed dazzling communal displays, including wing clapping, before dispersing to hunt their vole prey overnight. The lack of daylight during these displays has thwarted attempts to gain accurate counts of total numbers, with seven counted together on one evening but calls heard suggesting there were more.
Similar Short-eared Owl roosts have been documented in the past, the largest being of 20 individuals on Mull in 1981 and 18 in Lothian in 1987. The mountainous terrain of Kintail is not normally associated with this species, but four individuals were also recorded roosting together elsewhere on the property from September to November last year.
Rule Anderson, National Trust for Scotland ranger at Kintail, said: “The owls are the latest in a line of bird species to benefit from our habitat improvement work at Kintail, which has seen grazing by deer and sheep reduced, allowing vegetation including heather and woodland to regenerate.
“We have also seen incredible numbers of voles across our property since last summer, which more than likely has attracted this unusual concentration of owls here.”