Diving into rough grass can have its rewards. For the Short-eared Owls it can be rich in the Vole populations that sustain them through their winter stay and for a wildlife photographer it provides an opportunity to work on the behaviour and hunting habits of the Owls.
When the Owls first arrived several weeks ago their hit rate per dive was very high which meant that given a couple of dives into the grasses they would find enough prey quickly and then they didn't need to fly or hunt again for an hour or so.
We are now noticing that their hit rate in the number of Voles caught is already quite a lot lower than it was and their hunting times and aerial disputes are increasing so it will be interesting to study at what stage the input energy required to hunt out stripes the rewards given up by the grasses.
Some if not all of these beautiful birds will probably have to move on to other areas of high or rough ground before to long so we have to appreciate the times like now while they enhance our area with their presence.
Another failed attempt to take a Vole means more energy used and the need to take prey increases !
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