Don't know the answer, but according to Chambers Dictionary an owler is a person who smuggles wool or sheep from England to France.

It doesn't seem to refer to someone who keeps feathered nocturnal predators.

Excellent detective work there, chaps and chapesses.  I knew there'd be an answer out there, and you guys would know.

I'll  be all knowledgeable and smug when I provide the answer later, so thanks again.

Now you are nearing my subject. Forget the telegraph poles and horse's legs "owls are us" could be my motto.

Now, as R. S-S should know being a country boy, the natural home of a tawny owl is a hollow on in old tree usually where a branch has broken off. Sometimes they will use the old nest of a magpie. They have been known to use an old drey (nest) belonging to a grey squirrel; but usually they build their own. Naturalists have tried to build nesting boxes for tawnys but not with much success. May I suggest that when the young R. S-S was breaking and entering with his gang of robbers he was lucky not to be caught by the ghostbusters (very painful).

Edited by user 16 December 2010 15:16:11(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

A truly chilling tale, R S-S.

Whatever you disturbed at the old farmhouse must have been a bit scared.

So probably what you heard was owls of anguish.

Perhaps a line of Alders were cut down when the row of houses was built.?

I believe that the roots of alders are very useful at holding together river banks. "As a deep-rooted species, it helps to maintain the soil in river banks and reduces the effects of erosion." There a still quite a few along the path of the river through the park..

Cheers

Jon.