To tell you I can hear an owl hooting and it's weirdly thrilling?

[MistressoftheDarkSide]

Just that really. I'm in a relatively urban area but not commercial, and there's a fair amount of greenery, and it's the first time in the 18 months I've lived here that I've heard an owl hooting.

For some reason it's really pleased me, even though last night would have been perfect being Halloween and all.

Just felt like sharing 😚

I live in a city and saw a little fox in my back garden!

I hear them regularly and I'm always very happy to do so! I love all bird sounds but owls hooting in the night is almost magical, I'm also very very pleased when I hear it. YANBU OP 😊😊😊

I love hearing the owls and seeing foxes. We get quite a lot of both, but it's always a little bit magical.

Lovely thread, OP!

Wouldn't you know it, it's stopped now.

I've seen a few foxes at night, and my friend who lives in a similar sort of area has badgers because there's a wide bit of wildness between the back gardens of two roads if you know what I mean.

I have a sudden urge to go for a walk in nature.

Maybe not tonight though - my cats would be very put out.

And yes, it is magical. So easy to feel disconnected from nature these days.

I'm not in an urban area, but it's very rare to hear an owl here

So I still get madly excited when I hear them!

I totally understand why you feel like going for a wander night time. I've been advised that wandering in the local woods even as a group is not a good idea though. Shame.

i've still never seen a badger in real life!

We're in a suburban area with a lot of trees,bordering on the green belt and there's an owl quite close to us,although I can't hear him so well when the windows are shut during the winter.It's times like this that I wish the double glazing wasn't so effective😁

YANBU - I love hearing owls at night. It goes in spates here, hear them frequently and then don’t hear them for a while, then hear them again.

Doyou know what type of owl it is you’re hearing? Near me, it’s always tawny owls.

The other sound I love is the buzzards. Had two move into the area around 18 months ago. Now I often see 6 in the sky. Whenever I’m doing stuff outside and hear one, I have to stop and look up to find them.

OP - do you have the Merlin Bird ID app? If not, download it, it’s brilliant for identifying all of the bird chit-chat going on around you each day.

I was going to recommend the Merlin app too! Would love to know what owl it was. Love owls

I was going mention Merlin app. It’s how I know our resident owl is a Little Owl.

i've still never seen a badger in real life!

I finally saw a badger last year, well it's middle & bum. It was in Devon.

I live in a city and saw a little fox in my back garden!

In London foxes are more common than dogs!

Owls are amazing

Is it the 'hoooo' sound of a male owl? If you give a little high pitched 'kewitt' (female sound) chances are he'll reply!

do you have the Merlin Bird ID app?

thanks for this

I live in a city bur very near to us is a fairly large area of greenery, a mix of field, trees and bushes. We regularly get foxes and we do have an owl somewhere in there which I have heard. There is also a nearby stream which apparently has otters although I haven't seen any
Have a friend who lives about a mile or so away nearer to woodland and unfortunately a bird of prey took her rabbit from its run in her garden

Aww, you’ve got a Little Owl - would love to hear one near me.

Another good site for random searching/scrolling of bird sounds is this one. For many, you can switch between their call, flight call, warning sound etc.

https://www.british-birdsongs.uk/little-owl/

We have an owl that sits on top of a corbel just outside our bedroom window. I love hearing him. Clearing his poo up not so much.

We are rural and have many foxes, rabbits and pheasants
We used to have bats swooping around the garden at night and I’d sit and have a tea and watch them.

We have a camera on a bird box to catch the birds and
Id love a night vision camera

Nature is very soothing

For some fun watching
If you have room for a trampoline foxes love jumping on them.

@DrPrunesqualer never seen one on ours but the cat likes to nap on it.

Thanks to Merlin I’m finally able to tell the difference between different bird songs and calls.

Awww this is a lovely thread, and has made me realise how much I take hearing them for granted as we're so lucky to hear them every day. Every now & then I see a barn owl and it's so majestic.

I was in my 40s before I heard an owl hooting, or a woodpecker pecking, or saw a badger in the flesh.
You're right, it is thrilling.

We're urban, albeit with a playing field nearby, and I hear the barn owl every so often.

The Merlin App can't cope with the red kites in our street, I think they've spread so fast it doesn't expect to hear them in our town. It picks up their peeping call but can't match it.

Visiting the countryside. Heard an owl last night. Awesome!

It's a magical sounds isn't it. I could listen to them for hours.

Also, our bat population has gone bonkers. DH counted yesterday and we've got 38 in the cellar. A few years ago there were maybe 10, so it's thrilling to know they're thriving.

Owls are awesome! I'm quite rural so we get lots here, and I go out cycling very early when it's still dark and have nearly hit one on several occasions!

However, sometimes they seem to have owl parties near our house, and I'm less impressed when the fuckers keep me awake half the night yelling to each other from the top of our roof...