h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The answer to that Joke conundrum is, unfortunately, 'Because the Woodpecker would pecker 'er'!

However the reason for my conundrum is my disturbed sleep last night.

I had been working on my journal for my week's holiday in Broadstairs, so had gone to bed late, around 02:00. I was all ready for a good night's after a few and the head hit the pillow. Around fifteen minutes later I heard a strange noise, at least strange for Brentford, being a mixed urban / industrial area. After all the A4, heading to the M4 is 10 minutes walk away heading east, and the A205 South circular is 2 minutes heading, strangely, South...

Over the constant thrum of the traffic on the A4 I heard this 'Who-who-who-whooooooo'! followed by a further 'Who-who-who-whooooooo'! around 5 - 10 seconds later. I was intrigued, especially as it was repeated every 30 - 60 seconds for the next two hours, or until I dozed off.

What was a tawny owl doing in our car park? And calling? It is not mating time and, although Kew gardens is five minutes away, there is no woodland locally. A steam museum and Thames water works, a car park, an industrial site where Brentford football Club is about to be relocated... But not tawny owl habitat Also there wasn't the usual 'ker-wick ker-wick' recognition or mating call, so maybe a youngster checking out the locality for competition for the winter? I am perplexed, and I consider myself knowledgeable on birds . I have heard tawny owls back on my old stomping grounds, but they have been parks and woodlands, not in two battered tatty pine trees in an urban area.

Maybe he, or more likely she, will be back tonight...



Who knows?

But how refreshing!!!



MMF

How lovely to hear something so haunting above all that din of traffic, a bit surreal eh!

You obviously live somewhere infested by small rodents.

Saw lots of shags and kittiwakes last week, but that was in Northern France, not leafy Surrey (which would have been something).

MMF, I think Icy is probably right. They will go where there is a plentiful supply of food, so long as there are trees. We have had one sitting on the telegraph pole outside our house in the past, though we are on the edge of a more natural habitat.

Does this answer your question? - Quotes from http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/

A Tawny Owl never calls "twit twoo". In fact the "twit" or more accurately "ke-wick" is a Tawny Owl's contact call and the "twoo" or again more accurately "hoo-hoo-oooo" is the male's territorial call. Consequently, if you hear "ke-wick hoo-hoo-oooo" it is most likely a male answering a female (or another male).

Movements - Tawny Owls are sedentary except when the juveniles disperse. They disperse in August–November and by early winter will be either dead or holding a territory.

Looks like it is a juvenile checking out the territory Hope it doesn't keep you awake too much

Websailor

I thought the joke went:

Why did the fly fly?

Because the spider spied 'er!