Listening for Owls on a Midsummer Night

By Foraging Blackberries from British Hedgerows Safely
Comments 35
4 Jul 2026

Listening for Owls on a Midsummer Night

Why Midsummer Is a Strange Night for Owls

Midsummer is the quietest time of year to go looking for owls, and also the most rewarding. The birds are there, but they are busy. Tawny owl chicks that hatched in March or April have left the nest by June and are scattered through the woods, still begging loudly for food. The adults are hunting hard for voles, beetles and worms, and the full territorial chorus — that rich autumn and late-winter hooting — has largely gone quiet until September.

What you get instead, between about 10pm and 1am, is family life. Contact calls, the sharp "kewick" of a female, the whining, insistent begging of a young bird following a parent along a branch. It is a different soundscape from the one most people expect, and it is worth staying out late for. In southern Britain true darkness arrives around 11pm in late June; in northern Scotland the sky may never go fully black at all, so the birds work the long dusk in shifts.

Know Who You Are Listening For

The two species you are most likely to hear are very different animals in the dark.

Tawny owl — the classic woodland bird. The quavering, unhurried hoot people write into films belongs to the male: a soft "hoo, hoo, hoo-hooo" with a wobble in the middle. The female answers with a sharp, slightly nasal "ke-wick". The famous "twit-twoo" is the two of them duetting, not one bird, and the female calls first.
Barn owl — almost never hoots. Its call is a long, tearing screech, usually given in flight, which sounds like a piece of silk being ripped. You may also hear a softer, snoring hiss from young birds or a bird at a roost.
Little owl — a yelping, upward "kiew, kiew", often in daylight, fond of old orchards, stone walls and hedgerow trees.
Long-eared owl — a low, soft, almost owl-less "hoo" repeated every few seconds; rare, and easily missed.

Where to Stand at Dusk

Owls follow edges. A tawny owl hunting will work along the boundary where mature woodland meets open ground, so the junction of a hedge and a wood, an old lane with tall trees on one side, or a churchyard with yews and ashes is ideal. Choose a spot with a rough, unkempt margin rather than a tidy verge.

For barn owls, think of the pale, long grass along a field ditch, a set-aside strip, or a rough pasture edge — anywhere voles are plentiful and the grass is long enough to hide them. Old barns, big ivy-clad trees and derelict buildings nearby are a bonus. Keep to public footpaths and bridleways, close every gate behind you, and give livestock a wide berth. If you do not know the land, ask before wandering fields in the dark.

How to Listen Well

Timing and weather matter more than luck. A still, mild, dry night with high pressure settling in after rain is close to perfect. Wind, heavy rain and hard frost all suppress calling — though a frosty, windless winter night is excellent for hooting, which is why serious owl listeners often wait for autumn.

Arrive about an hour before sunset and stay put. Walking noisily through a wood is the surest way to hear nothing. Stand with your back to a hedge or trunk, turn off anything that hums, and give your ears five full minutes to adjust. Avoid using a torch at all if you can; if you must, use a red filter and keep the beam low and brief.

Do not use playback. Recorded calls pull birds off territory and away from hungry chicks, provoke fights with real rivals, and — for several of our rarer owls, barn owls among them — deliberate disturbance at or near a nest is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. A listening visit should leave the birds exactly as you found them.

Reading the Calls

A male tawny hooting steadily from one tree and a female answering from another are a pair holding ground. A single bird calling from several different points is likely patrolling. Persistent, squeaky, trembling begging from undergrowth in June or July means young are out and a parent is nearby; sit still and you may see a silent adult glide in with something in its talons.

A barn owl screeching repeatedly as it drifts along a hedge line is usually a bird working a hunting route. Note the direction it travels and the time, then return in a week — barn owls are creatures of habit and will often fly the same line again.

What to Take, and a Last Thought

A head torch with a red mode, spare batteries, and a small notebook.
Long sleeves, trousers tucked into socks, and midge repellent if you are anywhere west or north.
A phone recorder for documenting calls, with a fluffy windshield to kill the breeze.
A flask, and a friend — two pairs of ears hear more than one.

Stay until the last of the light. Midsummer nights bring other things besides owls: nightjars churring on heathland, a woodcock roding over the treetops, pipistrelles stitching along the hedge. It is a good reminder that the countryside after dark is not asleep — it has simply changed shift.

Nature Notes

Baking a Traditional Apple and Blackberry Crumble

Hedgerow projects need volunteers for planting, laying and surveying. No experience is required, just sturdy gloves and a willingness to learn.

Previous Post At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium.

Next Post Dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentiu deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores

5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

Jenny Watson

Hi! beautiful people. I`m an authtor of this blog. Read our post - stay with us

Instagram

How We Can
Help You!

Take a reusable bottle, pick up litter safely and choose snacks with minimal packaging. Small habits keep footpaths and waterways cleaner for wildlife.

section heading hidden

Our Latest News

Volunteering for a Local Hedgerow Restoration Project

Reducing Plastic Waste on Countryside Walks

Creating a Community Orchard for Wildlife

Contact Us

Article