The short-eared owls in front of our house |

The short-eared owls in front of our house is a short educational wildlife video about short-eared owls with calming and relaxing music. All of the short-eared owls shown in this video were captured in the Province 'Groningen' in The Netherlands.

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   / @daisysjoerdwildlife  

Transcript
Short-eared owls are a rare sight in The Netherlands.
But suddenly they were just outside our garden, above the endless farming fields.
It's been four years since they were last here.
Soaring over the ditches and fields.
So I've made some recordings to share these beauties with you.
Short-eared owls are nomads, they can travel great distances.
They seek out the most favorable places.
Large open spaces with lots of mice.
They prefer open swampy areas and peat bogs.
A couple of hares nearby…
I saw quite a few couples today.
Lovely creatures.
Short-eared owls mainly hunt in twilight but can also hunt during the day and night.
Silently flying half to three meters above the ground.
And dive down when they hear a mouse.
The owls can hear prey from great distances and adjust their flight accordingly.
Compared to other owls, short-eared owls have strong developed pectoral muscles.
These muscles allow them to hover above prey and make swift and fast movements.
This is similar to other birds of prey like the hen harrier.
Sadly they have become a scarce breeding bird in The Netherlands.
Due to urbanization and intensive agriculture.
Short-eared owls make nests on the ground, making them vulnerable for agricultural machinery.
One is trying to take the others’ freshly caught mouse.
Another couple of hares…
When attacking they stretch their legs in front of them to catch prey in tall grasses.
Those eyes!
In The Netherlands the majority of these owls are found in the North of Groningen (where we live) and the Wadden Islands.
Hunting from vantage points is also a used technique.
During the breeding period, both parents breed.
When the eggs hatch, parents share responsibility.
Oops…
Best of luck feathered friends, hopefully until next year.

This wildlife video was filmed and edited by Daisy Ausma (The Netherlands).

Camera + lens
Sony ZV-E1 + Sony FE 200-600 mm

Hashtags
#owl #birdsofprey #birds #birdwatching #wildlife