The Tawny Owl’s Autumn Hoot

The Autumn evenings here in the Surrey Hills are alive with the sound of hooting Tawny owls. The Tawny owl is the UKs most widespread owl, it hunts at night and makes that well known nocturnal hoot that we often associate with ghost stories and halloween.

We have had three or four hooting around the cottage over the last two weeks and the sound is wonderful.

At this time of year young owls that have hatched and fledged during the late spring and summer are establishing their territories, hence the racket. Translate twit – t’woo for ‘bugger off bro, this is my patch’.

If you hoot at them they will hoot back and quite often I have been able to get a real concerto going around the cottage. Hours of fun – but make sure the neighbours are out, they tend to think it is weird behaviour.