Owls as rare as golden eagles spotted on coast

Birds as rare as golden eagles have been spotted hunting in a seaside beauty spot – prompting nature lovers to urge ramblers to look to the skies.

Pictures snapped by Hersden photographer Roger Stanger last week captured four shorteared owls searching for prey on the coast at Reculver, near Herne Bay.

The creatures – which have suffered recent habitat and population declines – are thought to have migrated to the area from either Scotland or as far as Russia for the winter.

Mr Stanger, 52, said: “Who doesn’t like an owl?

“They have a special draw to them and some sort of charm – they’re wonderful things.

“You don’t often get to see owls in daylight. They were out there hunting and are remarkably efficient – they might get what they want in five minutes and you won’t see them again.

“Unless people are really on the lookout, people tend to be oblivious to this stuff. It’s always looking out – if you are you’ll see something.”

He has also seen the birds in rough grassland in Seasalter, Sandwich Bay and Elmley.

There are thought to be between 620 and 2,200 breeding pairs of the owls in the UK.

They are considered birds of conservation concern, having been categorised as an amberlisted species after the area suitable for them to mate in shrunk by almost 50% between 1968 and 2011.

The British Trust for Ornithology says of the animals: “They have decreased to the point they are now considered a rare breeding bird - perhaps of comparable rarity to the golden eagle, though with more marked population fluctuations.

“Although widespread around the world, in most places where trends are known, they are believed to be in decline and have become a flagship species for the conservation of grassland ecosystems.”

Usually seen during the day, short-eared owls are most commonly spotted in moorland, dunes and heathland.

Picture: Roger Stanger Photography The owls were spotted hunting

The short-eared owls were seen in Reculver last week

Icture: Roger Stanger Photography