Two Short-Eared Owls Arrive Early To Compete Against British Kestler

By R. Siva Kumar - 13 Aug '15 11:00AM

In the Leas Nature Reserve, you can spot two short-eared owls, which has led to a instant rivalry with a kestrel that lives there.

It's actually too early a visit by the short-eared owl flying in "full-on aerial combat" with a kestrel, according to bbc. In Souter Lighthouse and The Leas, the National Trust's coastal reserve near Sunderland, UK, the visit is earlier than expected. However, a couple of these owls have come back to their winter site very early and have taken on an "immediate rivalry" with a native kestrel.

The owls usually hop over to Europe and are expected back to UK only in October, according to Dougie Holden, the reserve ranger.

"We're not complaining as they're simply beautiful and a pleasure to watch," he said.

"However, it must be said not everything is happy with their presence - our resident kestrel is not at all impressed by its new neighbours."

It's interesting that both the species need to "share" the hunting grounds. Still, the kestrel here is smaller and lighter, so the new arrivals wouldn't really put it at much of a "disadvantage".

While the short-eared owls are British residents, winter gets 50,000 "invaders" from Scandinavia, Russia and Iceland.