Great Grey Owls are breeding in Uppland this year. A drop rig was placed overnight about 75 m away from the nest and you can hear the female beg for food throughout the night and when the males finally arrives he starts off by singing to the female just before and/or after delivering the food. At dawn a Lynx passed close by as well. One of the very lucky mornings! Uppland, May 4, 2024.

Zoom F3 + 2 x Clippy EM272

Nesting Great Grey Owls and a male Lynx

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)

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

At late night the male Lapland Owl was hooing close to the nest of last year. Given that we have had record numbers of mice on our attic I hope that this year will also be a successful breeding year. Lapland Owl had the best year ever in Uppland in 2024.

Uppsala, March 19, 2025.
Zoom F3 + Clippy EM272 as tree ears

Lapland Owl hooting

In 2025 I have visited four breeding sites where males were calling early in the year but there had been no signs of breeding later in the Spring. This was until yesterday when I stumbled upon a breeding pair. In this recording you can first hear begging calls of the female and later on what I gather is the female song (more the tone of a Wood Pigeon than in the male). 

Uppland. May 4, 2025.
Mixpre 3ii + Wildtronics stereoparabolic dish

Lapland Owl breeding in Uppland also this year!

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

New tracks tagged #lappuggla