Though undoubtedly present, there are no
documented references to Short-eared Owls in S. Gloucestershire between 1936 and
1941 nor between 1943 and 1967: Howard H Davis (in litt.) ...'Short-eared Owl is
an irregular winter visitor to the estuary, usually singly but up to three or
four together have been found. They have been reported from the Severn Marshes
and once seen as early as mid-August. Perhaps visits inland localities but no
published records'...
Short-eared Owl is far from common in S.
Gloucestershire;
2012: (c.14)
JANUARY:
Four were seen in the Shirehill Lane area at Marshfield on
the 7th; At least five present in the Shirehill Lane area at
Marshfield on the 8th; One
was seen briefly over Aust Warth at around 15:00 on the
9th, 10th & 12th; On was on show at Shirehill Lane,
Marshfield on the 25th; On the 28th five were
flushed from Aust Warth late afternoon and at least one was
seen near Plough Farm, Marshfield. An unconfirmed report of
up to (15) fifteen in the Marshfield area also on the
28th;
One at Aust Warth and three from Shirehill Lane on
the 29th; One at Aust on the 30th; Five at Shirehill
Lane Marshfield on the 31st with one at Oldbury Power
Station and
at least two late afternoon at Aust Warth.
FEBRUARY:
One on Aust Warth on the 1st, 3rd, 15th, 16th & 19th with
two on the 2nd, 9th, 13th, 23rd, 26th & 28th and five on the
17th and a record seven for the site on the 25th; One at
Oldbury Power Station on the 6th; Seven were on show at
Shirehill Lane, Marshfield on 5th & 6th with at least five
on the 8th, four on the 9th, one on the 11th, three on the
25th & 26th; One was seen over Northwick Warth on February
23rd.
MARCH:
At least three were seen on Aust Warth on
the 1st, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 27th, 28th & 30th with one on the 2nd, 8th & 16th, two on the 5th,
6th, 9th, 19th & 25th, four on the
11th, 13th, 17th & 24th, five on the 15th & 18th, c.6 on the 12th & 14th; At least four
were still present at Marshfield from Shirehill Lane on
March 4th with two on the 11th, seven (7) on the 25th and
one on the 28th, one on Northfield Lane on
the 14th; One south of Severn Beach near the 'pipes' on the
17th & 21st; One near Thornbury Yacht Club on the 26th &
28th; One was seen over Northwick Warth on March 27th.
APRIL:
At Aust Warth, one on the 2nd, 16th, 23rd, 26th & 30th, two were reported on the 1st, 10th, 15th, 19th
& 27th,
three on the 5th, 6th,7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st & 22nd, four
on the 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th & 24th; At Shirehill Lane, Marshfield,
one on the 11th, two were seen on
the 7th; One was noted heading south west
past New Passage on the 11th; One was seen around Lagoon II
at Oldbury Power Station on the 21st; One was seen at Severn Beach on
April 24th, 27th & 30th
MAY:
One was reported from Northwick Warth on the 1st; At Aust
Warth one was seen on the 2nd, two on the 3rd;
|
Short-eared Owl bird days 2012
|
|
Location |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Total |
|
Aust
Warth |
12 |
33 |
73 |
63 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
184 |
|
Others |
- |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
|
Marshfield |
19 |
33 |
15 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
70 |
|
OPS |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
|
Totals |
32 |
68 |
91 |
69 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
264 |
2011: (c. 15)
HIGHEST COUNT 7
Aust Warth:
January: Two were was seen
hunting over the salt marsh at 15:10 on the 1st with one
present on the 2nd at 16:50; Two were noted in near darkness
on the 4th; Two in the morning on the 8th; Three were
noted over the salt marsh at 16:15 on the 15th; One late
afternoon on the 18th; Two on the 23rd at 15:30; Four
were seen early morning on the 24th; Three present late
afternoon on the 29th & 30th. -
February: Three present on the 20th. -
March: Two
were on show over the salt marsh on the 2nd with one noted at
18:00 on the 6th; Three on show at 17:40 on the 7th; Two on
the 14th; Two on the 19th at 16:45; One in the morning on
the 20th; Two on Aust Warth on the 21st; Two in the
afternoon on the 22nd - 25th & 29th; One on the 28th. -
April: One on
the 10th and 14th. -
August: One was noted in the morning on the
3rd. -
October: One was noted in the morning on the 29th. -
November: One on the 1st - 3rd, 6th, 8th
- 12th, 14th, 15th, 21st & 24th; Three present from 16:00 on
the 4th - 5th; Two on the 7th, 13th, 16th, 18th - 20th, 23rd
& 27th with two
possibly three were reported at 16:45 on the 17th. -
December: One was present on the 1st, 5th, 10th, 11th &
15th.
|
Short-eared Owl bird days
- Aust Warth 2011
|
|
Location |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Total |
|
Aust
Warth |
23 |
3 |
28 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
4 |
40 |
5 |
107 |
Other Sightings:
January: One presumed to be this species was seen in the
Downthorns Farm area at Marshfield on the 13th at 15:00; - May: One was
flushed from the shingle beach at Severn Beach on the 1st; October - One was seen at Oldbury
Power Station on the 18th near Lagoon III; One was seen at
Oldbury-on-Severn on the 24th & 26th; November: One was
seen at Oldbury-on-Severn on the
1st; One was noted at Thornbury Yacht Club on the 7th; One was
seen between Lagoon I and Shepperdine on the 15th; Two
were seen on Shirehill Lane at Marshfield on the 20th;
At least seven (7) were seen from Shirehill Lane at Marshfield
on 27th with three present on the 28th, at least
five on the 29th; December: Four from Shirehill Lane at
Marshfield on the 3rd, at least two on
the 5th and six on the 10th; two on the
14th; One on the 17th; At Severn Beach one was seen at
10:45 over the estuary being mobbed by gulls.
Short-eared Owl at Aust Warth. January 2011. Paul Bowerman.
Short-eared Owl at Aust Warth. August
2011. Vic Savery.
2010: (c.7)
One was present on Aust Warth on January 1st, 4th - 5th, 23rd - 24th
and 30th - 31st
with two on the 25th - 26th; One was noted late afternoon at Severn
Beach on January 28th; One was seen at Aust Warth on
February 1st - 3rd and two were present here on February 5th; Two were
seen over the salt marsh at Aust on March 2nd with one still present on
the 5th; One was flushed from the salt marsh at Northwick Warth New
Passage at midday on October 7th with two present in the evening; Two
were present on October 8th, one on Northwick Warth (also 13th) and one on Aust
Warth which was still present on October 9th, 11th, 13th & 20th; One
was present on Aust Warth at 16:00 on November 13th with two showing at 16:10 on November 14th;
Two were on show from 16:20 at Aust Warth on December 14th with one
showing from 16:25 on December 15th; Two were seen at Aust Warth at
15:50 on December 18th with one present on December 19th and 21st with
two again on 22nd; Four were seen on Aust Warth on December 26th with
two present at dusk on December 30th; On December 31st three were seen
on Northwick Warth with at least two on Aust Warth at 16:45.
|
Short-eared Owl bird days
- Aust Warth 2010
|
|
Location |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Total |
|
Aust
Warth |
12 |
3 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
10 |
3 |
18 |
49 |
Short-eared Owl at Aust Warth. December
2010.
Brian Lancastle.
Short-eared Owl
at Aust Warth. January 2010.
Paul Bowerman.
2009: (c.11)
Aust/ Northwick Warth Salt Marsh:
At least two were seen on January 1st - 3rd,
10th, 13th - 14th & 17th with one on January 4th, 9th, 16th, 18th - 20th,
22nd - 23rd; Three were present on February 10th - 12th with one present on
February 13th and two on February 14th; Two were logged on March 14th, 16th,
27th - 28th & 31st with one present on the 30th; In April, three were seen
from 18:30 on the 4th - 5th, 8th & 12th with two on April 6th, 10th - 11th &
15th and one on April 17th, 19th - 20th; One was seen on Northwick Warth on
September 16th & 26th, over Aust Warth on 4th - 6th October and back on
Northwick Warth on October 9th and 12th.
Other Sightings:
One was seen over the salt marsh south of Severn
Beach on January 24th; One was noted over the shore at Severn Beach on April
12th; One was seen briefly at the 'Yacht Club' Oldbury Power Station on
April 13th; One was flushed from it's roost on Northwick Warth on April
25th; One was also noted at Thornbury Pill in April; One was seen at dusk
over the model airfield on Rushmead Lane at Marshfield on September 19th;
One was noted along the shore at Oldbury Power Station near Lagoon III at
around 08:45 on December 5th. It was seen to fly low over the estuary when
it was mobbed by gulls and returned flying over the hedge into Lagoon III
where it probably went to roost.
Short-eared Owl. Aust Warth. March 2009. Paul
Bowerman.
Short-eared Owls at Aust Warth. Paul Bowerman
and the 'Yacht Club' Oldbury Power Station. April 2009. Pete Hazelwood.
2008: (c.20)
First winter period:
In January there were two birds available at Aust
Warth on the 1st - 2nd, 23rd - 24th with single sightings on the 7th, 12th,
16th, 22nd, 25th - 27th & 29th. Most sightings were in the afternoon/ evening
from 15:50 onwards but there were some morning reports; In February at Aust
Warth two birds were seen on the 6th, 8th - 10th & 24th with singles on the 2nd,
12th, 14th - 17th, 19th - 20th & 23rd. Again most sightings were in the
afternoon/evening from 16:10 onwards with the exception of the 23rd when one was
noted at 08:45; One was flushed in the morning on February 2nd from the path
around Lagoon III at Oldbury Power Station; One was flushed on February 23rd
from the path around Lagoon III at Oldbury Power Station. It was then seen
perched on a log along the shore at 09:00; In March single birds were reported
from Aust Warth on the 1st - 4th, 9th - 10th, 21st, 24th, 26th & 27th; One was
noted at Oldbury Power Station on March 9th as it flew along the shore and then
to roost on Lagoon III at 09:00. It was first seen hunting along the shore and
fields south-west of Lagoon III then circling near the yacht club; A migrant was
flushed at around 15:00 from drift wood on the beach at Severn Beach on March
25th; One was seen over Rushmead Lane and the east of Orchid Lane at Marshfield
at around 18:30 also two were on show at Aust Warth at 19:25 on April 3rd with
one still showing well on April 4th - 6th; One was seen at the yacht club at
Oldbury on April 6th and again on April 12th & 13th; One was seen hunting along
the sea wall at Riverside Park, Severn Beach in the evening on April 15th; One
was seen at Oldbury Power Station on April 16th; Another lighter bird was seen
at OPS on the Shore on April 20th; One was noted again near the yacht club at
OPS on May 2nd & 3rd; At least one was showing well at Aust Warth on June 12th
and 14th.
Second winter period:
One was flushed several times mid-afternoon from
Down Track off Down Road at Marshfield on September 28th; On October
16th one was seen at Severn Beach at 09:45 before flying high south-east. At
Aust Warth, two were noted at 18:45; One was seen at Aust Warth on October
17th at 18:30; A migrant flew high north-east over New Passage in the
morning on October 18th before dropping onto the old Northwick Warth
landfill site; One was reported from Aust Warth on October 19th; Two were
present at Aust Warth from October 24th - 31st usually late afternoon and
early evening.
Other Sightings:
One was flushed near the sea wall at Severn
Beach at around 10:00 the flew north-east on November 1st; One was seen at
Aust Warth on November 1st at 16:40; Three were present at Aust Warth on
November 2nd, 10th - 11th, 14th, 18th - 19th & 28th, at least one on
November 3rd, 8th, 16th, 17th, 24th - 26th with two from November 4th - 7th
and again on November 12th, 15th & 30th; Four were logged on November 20th
at Aust Warth late afternoon and again on November 22nd.
Three continued to show over the salt marsh at
Aust Warth on December 1st - 6th, 10th, 13th - 16th, 20th & 29th; At least
five were seen at Aust Warth on December 7th with four present on December
8th - 9th, 17th & 23rd; Two were present at Aust Warth on December 11th -
12th, 21st - 22nd, 24th -25th & 31st; One was seen on Aust Warth on December
27th - 28th.
Short-eared Owl at Aust Warth
2008. January,
March - Paul Bowerman, June - Don
Smith, December -
Mike Dimery.
CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO ACTIVATE
VIDEO! Short-eared Owl at
Aust. December 2008. Martyn Hayes.
2007: (c.13)
One was present in January at Aust Warth on the 6th,
13th - 16th, 19th, 23rd - 29th, & 31st; One was reported from Aust Warth on
February 1st - 2nd, 4th - 7th, 10th, 13th & 17th; One was found on Northwick
Warth on September 13th; One was present at New Passage on October 14th; One was
seen at Severn Beach on October 21st; One was seen at Aust Warth on October 26th
- 28th with two on the 27th; On October 28th one was flushed from the
Yacht Club, flew upriver and went down along the shore by Lagoon III; One was
seen at mid-day harried off to the north from New Passage on November 15th; At
Aust Warth in November from the 2nd - 17th, 22nd & 29th with two on the
7th, 11th - 12th & 29th & three on the 9th & 14th; Present in December at Aust
Warth from the 1st - 4th, 7th - 16th, 18th, 22nd - 24th, 26th, 30th - 31st with
two on the 3rd, 13th - 16th, 18th, 22nd - 24th, 30 - 31st, three on the 1st -
2nd, 7th, 10th - 11th and five on the 9th; One was flushed from the footpath at
Northfield Lane near Marshfield on December 23rd and was still present on the
24th.
This stunning portrait was captured at Aust Warth.
December 7th. Gary Thoburn.
2006: (c.8)
One was seen at Severn Beach on February 24th, March
19th & April 8th; One was present on Westerleigh Common at Yate on March 11th;
One was seen at Aust Warth on March 29th with two present from March 30th until
April 1st; One was seen at dusk at Aust Warth on April 20th; One was seen in the
afternoon at Severn Beach on April 23rd; One was seen at Aust Warth on May 9th;
In the second winter period single birds were seen throughout October at Aust
Warth on the 14th - 16th, 18th - 19th, 21st - 24th, 27th, 29th & 30th; In
November on the 3rd (2) - 6th, 8th - 9th, 16th - 17th & 20th; In December on the
8th, 11th, 16th - 18th & 28th (2); Northwick Warth provided reports of a 'richly
coloured' individual on October 14th that was subsequently seen at Aust Warth on
October 17th & 27th.
Short-eared Owl at Aust Warth. October 2006. Paul
Bowerman.
2005: (8)
One was noted on two dates at Aust Warth on January
2nd & 9th; Two were seen at Rushmead Lane on January 23rd; One was noted at
Oldbury Power Station on March 3rd; One was reported from Northwick Warth on
August 30th; One was seen in flight south-west past Severn Beach on October
30th; At Aust Warth in the second winter period two were seen on November 19th &
27th and December 23rd with single birds on December 4th & 24th.
2004: (4)
At Aust Warth one was seen o January 4th, 5th &
25th; On October 10th one flew high over Leap Valley, Downend heading towards
the coast & a single bird (the same or another) was noted on the same day at
Severn Beach; One was seen at New Passage on October 15th & 30th; One was
observed at Aust Warth on November 11th & 21st.
2003: (c.7)
One was seen at Northwick Warth on March 26th; At
Aust Warth with two birds present on May 4th & three on May 5th, also May 15th,
16th & 17th; One was noted at Oldbury Yacht Club on April 20th; A single bird
was seen at Severn Beach on October 16th; One was present at Orchard Pools on
December 5th.
2002: (2)
Up to two birds were seen between February 15th &
24th in the Orchard pools area at Severn Beach.
Short-eared Owl at Orchard Pools. February 2002.
Paul Bowerman.
2001: (c.6)
Recorded in the
first winter period from the Severn Beach area between January
1st and May 5th with up to six birds present; In the second
winter period reports of up to two birds from October 20th
through to December 28th.
2000: (4)
One was seen at
Oldbury Power Station sometime in May; One was present at
Northwick Warth on October 1st & 3rd; One was seen at Oldbury
Power Station sometime in November; A single birds was located
at Severn Beach on December 27th.
1999: (c.3)
There were 'many'
records of single birds from Oldbury Power Station between
February and May 5th with two present on April 28th; One was
seen at Severn Beach on October 6th; One 'Asio' spp. was noted
hunting over Hawthorn scrub at Severn Beach on November 21st.
1997: (c.2)
Single birds were
present at Oldbury Power Station on February 2nd and March 8th &
9th.
1996: (2)
One was reported
on April 22nd from Northwick Warth; One was seen at Oldbury
Power Station on May 5th.
1995: (4)
In the first
winter period single birds were reported from New Passage on
March 9th & Oldbury Power Station on March 19th.
1994: (1)
A single bird was
reported from Northwick Warth on February 26th.
1992: (2)
At Oldbury Power
Station one was flushed from fields on January 11th; On October
17th one was seen heading south-west from New Passage.
1990: (3)
One was seen at
Oldbury Power Station on March 12th; One was seen heading down
the estuary from New Passage on April 12th; One was seen at New
Passage on October 27th.
1989: (9)
Up to five were
present at Oldbury Power Station until February 25th; At Hanham
abbots up to three were seen from January until April 20th; One
was noted on waste ground alongside ASDA superstore at Longwell
Green no date was given.
1988: (2)
At Oldbury Power
Station four were noted on November 13th with up to five onwards
to the year end; One was seen at Hanham Abbots on December 26th.
1986: (1)
One was reported
at Oldbury Power Station on February 24th.
1985: (1)
One was reported
from Oldbury Power Station in January & February.
1984 (c.2)
One or two were
reported in the favoured haunts from Aust southwards and were
present from January to May 8th and again from October 5th to
the year end.
1982: (1)
One was noted at
Shepperdine on October 9th.
1979: (Several)
Single birds were
noted on the coast between Aust & Avonmouth from January to late
Spring & again from October to December but no exact locations
are mentioned.
1977: (Several)
Single birds were
noted on the coast between Aust & Avonmouth in February, June &
October but no exact locations are mentioned.
1976: (2)
Two were recorded
this year both at Aust; One on October 17th & one on November
20th.
1975: (c.2)
Single birds were
noted at Aust in February & October.
1974: (1)
One was recorded
at Aust on May 3rd.
1973: (2)
Both reports from
the Severn Beach area; One on May 11th & one on November 3rd.
1968: (1)
One was reported
on Stoke Moor on November 20th.
1942: (1)
One was reported
from the salt marsh below Severn Beach on October 6th.