Babs O'Hara , RSPB South Stack volunteer informed me that a Barn Owl had been seen dead at Llandadrig, Cemaes so I went to check it out this morning. When I found the place, the holidaymakers took me to the spot where it was snagged on a fence. It had got its toe stuck in the barbed wire and was dangling upside down, with it's de-capitated head half a metre below on the floor, sad but bizarre! All I can think is it got it's foot stuck in the wire fence and died and perhaps a fox had pulled off it's head and didn't like the taste. I'm sure I heard somewhere that owls taste funny, but I could be mistaking them with Choughs? Does anyone out there know?
Anyway, Kelvin, it also had a ring on it FH96513, it was retrieved this morning at SH377 943 any history would be appreciated. Mike T, sadly this could have been the bird you had roosting in a cave at White Lady Bay last winter.
Barn Owls have no luck on Anglesey. About 120 -140 ish have been picked up dead on the A55, on Anglesey, since it opened 14 years ago, so that's approximately 10 a year and there are only estimated to be about 30 pairs on the Island. However the Cemlyn birds have been showing recently which is nice to see, so there are still some alive on Anglesey!
FH96513 was ringed at a chick in the nest on the 15th June this year at a confidential site near Llanfairynghyronwy, by Steve Roddick and Will Williams of the Anglesey Barn Owl Group.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update Kelvin.
ReplyDeleteThis month I have also seen living Barn Owls near The Black Lion, Llanfaethlu and near Llanfachraeth.
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