While at Shaptor Woods yesterday I found what I believe to be a Tawny Owl pellet. I soaked it over night and pulled it apart this morning. It contained the remains of at least two voles - there were two partial skulls, two pairs of matching jaw bones and various leg bones and hip joints. After looking at the teeth closely under a microscope, I think I have identified them as Field Voles. It is possible the two skulls are from different species - one is slightly smaller and could be Bank Vole, but the teeth are more clogged with fur and difficult to determine the shapes and angles - and some teeth have started falling out which doesn't help matters! It is possible that the pellet came from a Buzzard, but the size of it struck me as Tawny Owl to begin with. Owls often take more birds in their diet, but this pellet contained exclusively mammal remains - even a partial tail!!
Have a look (if you're not too squeamish!) at the amazing zigzag of these teeth, and the amazing chisel teeth at the front of the skull.
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I have just read some more information that confirms they are Field Voles. If you look at the photographs here of a single tooth (the rectangular grooved objects) they do not appear to have a root - Bank Vole will always have a root. Job done.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/Owlpellets_tcm9-133500.pdf
ReplyDeleteYikes!!! That was one hungry owl! x
ReplyDeleteI think now it might be a Buzzard pellet... saw some similar ones that I'm told were buzzard, mainly coz of the size of it!
ReplyDelete