ML230160431
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
- Behaviors
- Courtship, display, or copulation
- Sounds
- Flight song
- Playback
- Not specified
Observation details
Initially appeared from beyond our horizon and flew into the area previously occupied by the harriers (see account above). It began an interaction with the male harrier that seemed almost friendly: the two birds approached, then turned in tandem, flying almost a duet, separated, then made a few more similar passes before the harrier left the area. After a couple of solo circuits in the same territory, the owl started what seemed to be a display flight, with wings reaching very high on the upstroke, not so much on the downstroke, very butterfly-like. It flew like this continuously, almost in a constant direction, gaining altitude all the time. Eventually, it turned back toward the area in which it had started this flight pattern, still gaining altitude slowly. At some point, we realized that it was vocalizing at the same time, giving a series of 15-20 hoots in rapid succession, the whole sequence of hoots lasting about 5 seconds. This sequence would be repeated every minute or so, sometimes less, as it continued its ascent. Overall, we probably heard it do at least 50 sequences of these calls. Again, it returned to the area where we could still see it, but with more difficulty because by now it was several hundred meters above us and the light was fading. It then continued this flight style, hooting, and flew perhaps a mile or more to the south. I lost it but Dave was able to stay on until it made a turn and flew almost all the way back to us, climbing ever higher. We lost sight of it as it was almost straight above us, but we could still hear the call, faintly. Then, from behind us, another owl flew over the same grounds where all the action started and continued its flight, mostly low, to the north.
Additional species
Technical information
- Recorder
- iPhone 6
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 4.47 MB