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Description
This programme comprises an ecological case study of the Tawny owl in Wytham Woods, Berks. Techniques shown include automatic night photography, catching owls, owl pellet analysis, live trapping of... rodents, young owls and territory recording.
This programme comprises an ecological case study of the Tawny owl in Wytham Woods, Berks. Techniques shown include automatic night photography, catching owls, owl pellet analysis, live trapping of... rodents, young owls and territory recording.
| Module code and title: | S323, Ecology |
|---|---|
| Item code: | S323; 06 |
| First transmission date: | 30-04-1974 |
| Published: | 1974 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:24:21 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Neil Cleminson |
| Contributors: | Graham Hirons; Peggy Varley |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Anatomical features; Automatic night photography; Catching owls; Marking; Measurement; Owl pellet analysis; Population index; Territory recording; Trapping of rodents; Young owls |
| Footage description: | Shots of Wytham Wood, near Oxford, on the night of April 15th, 1973. Several still shots taken by automatic night photography, show tawny owls entering and leaving their nest boxes. Shots of Graham Hirons setting up his photographic equipment in Wytham Wood. Commentary by Peggy Varley explains how the equipment works. Several more photographs of tawny owls taken by this technique. Shots of Graham Hirons in Wytham Wood catching a roosting female owl. He performs the routine measurement, marking and examination of the owl and points out some of its specialised anatomical features. Shots of Hirons in the laboratory examining owl pellets. He points out the remains of several small animals. Hirons next demonstrates the wet method for sorting large samples of pellets. He separates bones from fur and identifies some of the bones. Commentary by Peggy Varley. The sorting is done to provide a qualitative analysis of the owl's diet. Shots of Hirons live-trapping small mammals in Wytham Wood in order to compile a population index of food available to tawny owls. Commentary by Peggy Varley. Shots of Hirons removing a bank vole from a trap. He weighs and marks the animal before releasing it. Shots of a nocturnal wood mouse being trapped, weighed and marked. Commentary to the above shots by Peggy,Varley. Still shots of a nest box containing a 3 week old owlet. Hirons removes the owlet from the nest, examines, weighs, measures and marks it. Commentary by Peggy Varley. Shots of the October live-trapping survey of rodent population in Wytham Wood. Commentary by Peggy Varley explains the need for a second survey. Shots of Hirons in Wytham Wood playing prerecorded owl calls. He uses this method to elicit answers from owls and so is able to map the boundaries of their territories. Commentary by Varley explains. |
| Master spool number: | 6HT/71303 |
| Production number: | 00525_1126 |
| Videofinder number: | 1030 |
| Available to public: | no |
