Owls

Ural Owl and Pygmy Owl

Tengmalm's Owl

Pygmy Owl

Although on the decline (?) there are still quite many Ural Owls breeding in Uppland. In the end of this recording you will hear when the male comes with food to the female and young. They are quite vocal in mid-May in the very early morning hours. This is a passive recording, I would not dare stand so close to Ural Owls otherwise. Really aggressive at their nests. During the night a Tawny Owl came too close and was chased off by the Urals. 220517

Dusk to dawn chorus with Ural Owls and Tawny Owls (May 17, 2022)

Tawny Owl

When trying to find calling lynx (no luck) I found a nice pair of pygmy owls. To start with their normal territory call and to end with one of the many strange sounds pygmy owls utter. They have a rich repertoire. Andalsglupen, Uppland. February 11, 2023

My local pair of Ural Owls has started to court each other. This droprig recorded the so-called defensive call or song between 3 and 4AM this morning. It is not so often heard as their normal call but early in the mating season it can be heard more commonly. The recording ends with the harsh bark of the female effectively ending the courtship! Uppsala, February 27, 2023

The defensive call of the Ural Owl

Unlike last year, spring has not come this time of year to the boreal forest of Uppland. But then more time to enjoy the owls. From 5 AM to 6 AM I had a very nice concert with Tengmalm's Owl ending with a mating (!), only to be replaced by a Pygmy Owl calling incessantly. Djupakorset, Uppland. March 16, 2023.

Small boreal owls calling

The Ural Owls have not yet laid eggs which is later than normal. The weather has *not* been favorable these last few weeks... In this droprig recording, you first hear the male calling and then the female. After 2 minutes you can hear them mating. Uppsala. April 6, 2023. Photo: Erik Karits

Ural Owls calling and mating

A droprig by Hågån during the night caught two classical sounds from horror movies, a tawny owl calling and a screaming fox, in between the two a beaver splashing around. Håga, Uppsala. April 8, 2023. Photo copyright: Bryan Joyce

The stuff of horror movies...

I have spent four years trying to find where the Eagle Owls nest without success. Last night I put out a drop rig in a nearby place and it seems as this area requires a closer look in the near future. I do not give up! The male calls all by himself around 3 AM but around 4 AM the dawn chorus starts with Song Thrushes, Linnet, Wrynecks among others. Uppsala, May 5, 2023.

Dawn with Eagle Owls

No luck with the wolves this night but a Red Deer was "mooing" in the distance and the autumn calls of Pygmy Owl and Tengmalm's Owl closeby. Siggefora, Uppland. September 11, 2023.

Red Deer and Small Owls in the Wolf forest

September is an excellent month for listening to owls. The local pair of Ural Owls had an active night and uttered most of their reportoire between 1 AM and 4 AM as can be heard in this droprig recording. Nåsten, Uppsala. September 18, 2023.

A potpourri of Ural Owl calls

In February/March the owls are starting to call once again. Quite a lot of rodent activity on the snow so perhaps this will be a good breeding year. All owls are found in the close vicinity of Uppsala, and they are ordered from small (pygmy owl) to big (eagle owl).
Pygmy Owl - recording ends with the so-called autumn call
Tengmalm's Owl - recording ends with the autumn call
Tawny Owl - only the call, not the song
Ural Owl - starts with the male's defensive call, then both the female and male while mating, finally when male delivers food to the female and young in mid-May
Eagle Owl - male calling

Owls in Uppsala

I continue my quest to document near infrasound calls in different bird species (cranes, capercaillies). In this recording you can first hear the male deliver food to the begging female at nest. And directly after (starting at 50 seconds and continuing for the rest of the recording) the male (?) continues with very low-frequency calls (60-80 Hz). 
May 4, 2024, Uppland.

Mixpre 3ii + Lewitt 440 pure in ortf

Near infrasound in Great Grey Owls

Another droprig with the Great Grey Owls. One week has passed since I visited them last time. This recording starts at dawn with the male feeding the female and ends with the male's regular territorial song. 
Uppland, May 11, 2024.

Zoom F3 + Clippy EM272

Great Grey Owls revisited (dawn)

Most likely the Ural Owls in my home forest are not breeding this year for unknown reasons since there are quite many rodents. The female was calling from midnight to 01:30 but no male answered. Perhaps he has passed away?

Nåsten, Uppsala. May 18, 2024.

A lone female Ural Owl calling at midnight

Nothing special about this recording other than it is a successful documentation of Great Grey Owl close to where I live! Aspen leaves are quaking in the wind, and the begging call of the youngster is not that strong (even less so than the considerably smaller Tawny Owl).

Uppsala. June 15, 2024.

Zoom F3 + 2 x Clippy EM272 as tree ears.

Successful Great Grey Owl breeding

Field sound recordist and archivist of vanishing sounds in natural Iandscapes. Highly commended in the Sound of the Year Awards 2024 - Best Natural Sound.

Owls

Bo Söderström