Mike Edgecombe took this distant image of one of a total of four Hume's owls we saw around Little Petra in just one hour. I was the lighting director as usual...
Having just seen six birds in just three night sessions, I think it is safe to say that seeing Hume's owl in Jordan is much easier than in neighbouring Israel. I saw my first bird without a tape by just wandering along the road below Dana village (down into Wadi Dana) at night. It was just 300 metres from the village. Our best encounters however were in the wadis around Little Petra - on the Wadi Araba road 15 minutes from Wadi Musa (Petra). We made contact with a bedouin guide called Faleh ("Far-lay") who can be reached on his mobile (0779142906). Whilst it would be easy to find the owls on your own, it is better to have a local guide with you if you are creating a disturbance at night near people's livestock, tents and womenfolk. Faleh knows several nearby territories and with his help you will soon find owls if you use playback.
Cool photo and a good memento of the trip!
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