Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Barn Owl Sighting

The owl safaris were such an inspiration that I spent some time afterwards getting photographs of all the wildlife we had seen.This was the barn owl that we saw hunting and quartering the dale side. It was being followed by a pair of kestrels trying to steal her catch. They disappeared over the horizon so we didn't know what had happened to her. But I found her the following morning with a vole.
She has a dirty face which means that she is raising chicks. Her nest is in a nest box that I put up four years ago. This is the first year that owls have bred there and these are her three chicks.
A female barn owl also visits my feeding station regularly and one night, just gone 11pm, it made a welcome visit. I don't think she has bred this year. Her feathers are too immaculate.

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