Countryfile viewers stunned as Ellie Harrison dissects owl poo - but it's not as it seems
COUNTRYFILE, the country's most unlikely ratings juggernaught, caused a stir once again tonight when viewers thought presenter Ellie Harrison was carefully sifting her way through owl droppings.
Countryfile's Ellie Harrison learns about an Owl's diet by disecting their Pellets
The broadcaster was fronting a segment on Barn Owls during the Staffordshire-based episode, and sitting with a woman named Sylvia as they assessed their "pellets".
Naturally, fans of the show assumed that pellets were fecal matter - but owl pellets are actually regurgitated through the bird's mouth.
Still, the tweets came thick and fast - including from the show's own Twitter account, which revealed that Ellie was "dissecting owl poop".
"Always nice to see someone sifting through owl poo when you are eating," one viewer quipped.
Ellie and Sylvia dissect owl pellets on Countryfile
Ellie and Sylvia got stuck in
The barn owl segment was well received by viewers at home
Ellie Harrison stresses while feeding mallards
She's like the Gillian McKeith of the owl world
"She's like the Gillian mckeith of the owl world," another joked, with a third saying: "Mrs Marple on Owl Poo duty on #Countryfile".
Another fan wrote: "Met an owl recently, even had selfie, didn't ask to dissect its poo tho."
"Pellet dissection is a really c****y thing to do," read another joke.
Explaining why pellet dissection is so important, Sylvia explained: "The reason that we like to do this pellet dissection is to find our what they're finding on our nature reserve."
The pellet is recovered
As Barn Owls are unable to digest fur and bones of their prey, these indigestible elements are coughed up through the beak after over six hours.
The birds are thought to regurgitate one or two pellets after each night of hunting.
Countryfile continues Sunday at 7:15pm on BBC One.