This photograph of a gorgeous tawny owl was taken by Rach on the 11th April in a secluded area of woodland just behind the polytunnels at our garages. So this is our bird of the day today.
The tawny owl, otherwise known as Strix aluco in Latin is part of the Strigidae (owl) family.
This bird is roughly the size of a pigeon and has a rounded body and head, with a dark circle of feathers around its face. It is mainly reddish brown when seen from above or behind but the underside is paler.
The tawny owl is a nocturnal bird and is often heard calling at night but not often seen. Normally you would only catch a glimpse of one during the day if you happen to disturb its nesting site.
It is widespread across England, Scotland and Wales, but not in Ireland. There are approximately 50,000 breeding pairs across the UK and they can be seen all year round if you are very lucky.
Tawny owls like to feast on small mammals and rodents, small birds, frogs, fish, insects and worms.
Established pairs of tawny owls usually don't leave their territories, whilst their young disperse in the autumn to find their own patch of land. So potentially we have an established owl living in our own backyard which really shows just how much our biodiversity action plan is doing to benefit the surrounding wildlife.
(Information on the tawny owl and other bird species can be found on the RSPB website)
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