Just across the garden, over the fence and across the farm yard are the steadings, the sheds barns, workshops but, for the purposes of this wee venture, I’m going to use barn because, it’s all about the Barn Owl(s) that live in there, in a nest box.
Ever since we’ve lived here we’ve been aware of the nest box and I tend to wander past it every time I head out for a wander on the patch, sometimes driving by slowly, just to check. Over these past years, I’ve become used to catching glimpses of the Barn owl, mostly a tiny bit of face as it dozes through the day. I’ve only seen it in the evening and nights a few times, although it did flare its wings outside the kitchen window, caught in the kitchen light.
The biggest issue I have had is the low light inside the barn itself, that improves with the onset of longer and hopefully, brighter days but I’m still shooting into gloom so, there’s my excuse for some of these shots being pretty poor. I have to say though, they have improved, probably as my confidence in my camera’s ability to cope with slow speeds and high ISO has grown so, hopefully, more and better shots to come.
January 31st I caught it outside the nest box; in the words of the great Billy Connolly – Wan leg, een shut! 🙂
It seems to be perching outside more often now and it’s obviously used to humans working within the shed, although it does dive back inside when we are around.
A little bit of self grooming on the same visit.
I caught it outside the box again on January 10th.
I mentioned the low light and shutter speed that allows me to get these shots; add to that the fact that it isn’t all that happy to have me staring at it, much less pointing a long black thing in its direction so, I often have to grab the shots before it hides again.
January 12th, a more common view. 🙂
January 21st – Yup, dozing again inside the box, but, later that day ….
See what I mean? I peer round the corner, point the lens, gone to bed. Must say though, most birds act that way 🙂
February 6th was my next successful visit, if successful is the right word? This was evening so probably attempting to waken up and get ready for the night ahead.
Another one on the lips of the nest box on February 25th, not a particularly great shot but it was good to see some shape and form, the wing for example.
So on to March 1st and yet another shot or two outside the box, so to speak 🙂
Finally, we catch up, yesterday, April 6th and a pleasant surprise, at last.
That’s not the surprise.
Neither is that set of preen, doze, preen shots.
Those were a bit of a surprise! Three years of wandering by now and again, not a glimpse of a second bird then yesterday ….. finally. I knew there had been a pair in there before, maybe always has been!?
Great to see a pair together, who knows? Maybe some youngsters later on?
Watch this space. If I get the opportunity. 🙂
Patch photos
Scozmo's Photery 