Like some of us doubtless the local barn owls are struggling to cope with winter conditions, particularly so last month (December) when the weather was very cold and raw. However I don’t have problem of shortage of food – the Xmas-time pressure to excess, with the consequent excessive waste generated, being a stain on western society.
As noted in blogs in late 2016 a massive number of starlings have been roosting in a nearby reed-bed, their collective ‘swerlings’ ahead of settling down to roost being a sight to behold. Once settled to the reed-bed their ‘supper-time chattering’ is audible at some distance, while at dawn the following morning when they decide to set-off for the day the sound of so many pairs of wings together is almost like that of a drum group playing.
There seems to have been a big increase of late in the numbers of geese over-wintering on the Humber Estuary. When they set-off inland, at about the same time as the starlings, the sight and noise of so many wildfowl ‘striding out’ for the day is remarkable.
Clearly the geese are able to fly at night because they can often be heard flying in formation in the black of night. Maybe this evolved trait is necessary for them to move roosts at night with the ebb and flow of the tides. Of course some birds have evolved to have night vision and are thus mostly nocturnal such as the barn owl (see above). It the begs the question to what extent other bird species may, or may not, have some degree of night vision, or to what extent they are forced to stay rooted to their roost until day-break. Blackbirds locally, for example seem to stay quite active at dusk but will only see a perceived threat (such as me or my dog) when it is much closer than would have been the case in daylight. Smaller birds such as sparrows, tits or finches may also be able to see in the dark to an extent but their movements would be less obvious.
There is also the issue of to what extent birds may remain active at night aided by artificial light in towns and cities.
Very best wishes for 2018 to anyone reading this.