The month of June has finally arrived and I am off again to the Alps for another encounter with the charming Pygmy Owl. During the autumn their courtship song helped us locate male birds, at this time of the year we are hoping to see not only adult owls, but also some fledglings. In order to make sure that the breeding pair is not disturbed during the incubation period and when the chicks are still in the nest hole, the workshops always take place after the young have fledged. The dates for the workshops are determined a long time in advance and hence it is by no means certain to be able to see any young, as the time of fledging is heavily dependant on various meteorological factors that can vary a lot from one year to the next.
DAY 1
On our first morning we are set for an early start as usual, it’s great to see Stéphanie, David and Marco again. A couple of explanations to put everybody in the picture and we are off, all of us are keen to meet the Pygmy owls!
Today we are heading into the territory of a breeding pair whose offspring left their tree cavity 3 days ago. Once outside, the fledglings gradually move further and further away from the nest, but continue to be fed by their parents several times a day over the following weeks. The easiest time to observe them is during the first few days after fledging, as time moves on they become more and more difficult to spot as they perch higher and higher in the trees and disperse across a much wider area. At this time of the year the owl parents are having to put in overtime in order to feed all those hungry little beaks and they are hunting for most of the day. A real godsend for any wildlife photographer!
We find our first fledgling perched high up in a larch tree, it would have been difficult to miss due to its incessant calls, reminding its parents that it was still waiting for breakfast ! At first it bobs its head up and down to get a better look at us, but quickly looses interest. After all it is very hungry!
We follow Marco and David who have gone a ahead to try and find the remainder of the family. An adult bird flies by, without a prey. It perches near us for a moment, without giving us the slightest bit of attention. This is another reason why the tiny raptor is so attractive, unlike most other owls, it is not particularly afraid of humans. Needless to say we respect its trusting nature and keep a reasonable distance.
Fifty meters further down the slope, we come across 2 other siblings, sitting next to each other in a pine tree. Not easy to get decent shots against the strong backlight, but what bliss to be able to see them so close up ! They look at us with their piercing eyes wide open, visibly curious, but without fear. Their heads are shifting sideways and bobbing up and down trying to get a better look at us. Then they start lengthy sessions of preening, stretching, yawning and little cuddles.
In total we count 5 fledglings in the vicinity who wait more or less patiently for their parents to return with some food.
But this morning the adults don’t seem to have much luck with hunting, even though we do see them a few times, either flying by or perched on top of a tree, ready to ambush an unexpecting mouse or songbird.
Things suddenly improve in the afternoon now they show up with one prey after the other and the owlets are being fed by both parents. What a privilige to be able to observe so many feeding sessions ! I get the impression we are just as excited as the young owls when we see the adult birds arrive with a rodent or small bird in their talons!
After a good meal it’s time to regurgitate the indigestible parts such as bones, feathers and fur in the form of a neat little pellet!
Towards the end of the afternoon we start to feel hungry too, a lovely dinner is waiting for us back at the hostel and we unfortunately have to leave the tiny owls for today.
After a pleasant evening around a tasty shared dinner the calls of the little owls follow me into my dreams.
DAY 2
Normally we had planned to move on to a different area today, but given the success of yesterdays outing we decide to head back to the same spot. The owlets are already waiting for us, they have hardly moved since last night. An adult bird lands on a branch only a few meters away from where we stand, its beak shows traces of blood, we missed breakfast!
One after the other we find the fledglings dotted about in the trees around us. They are just as talkative as yesterday, with their calls they constantly remind their parents that they are still hungry. The adults have no time to rest with all these famished beaks, they regularly arrive with either a songbird or a rodent. Once again we are able to observe the feeding sessions, a rare privilege!
Inbetween the meals we watch them preen each other, stretch, cuddle up or nibble branches. At our sight their little heads bob up and down or shift from side to side as if they were curious. They seem to grow up quickly, by the end of the afternoon they have moved another 100 meters further down the hill. Their perches are higher and higher up in the trees and further and further apart. We realise how very fortunate we are to have been in the right place at the right time. Tomorrow they’ll be even further away and much more difficult to track.
Time flies when you are having fun and our second day with the tiny owls is over far too quickly. Some of us are heading home tonight, and sadly the time has come to say goodbye to the Pygmy Owls. Once again I leave with lots of images of the owlets and their parents in my head. Knowing Stéphanie, David and Marco I didn’t have the slightest doubt that we would be able to find and photograph Pygmy Owls, but I never expected to witness such intimate scenes and so many superb interactions. The multiple exceptional opportunities for photographing this wonderful little raptor meant I had no trouble filling my memory cards. All this would not have been possible without our guides’ perfect knowledge of the area and their multiple scouting trips before out arrival. A big thank you to all 3 of you for 2 truly exceptional days!
