Barn Owl Site No 12.

For the last few weeks a Barn Owl has been regular sighted by a farmer in his back garden over in the Peckleton area. So on Friday evening I ventured over there to see if I could record a sighting for myself and make it the 12th different location where I have seen local Barn Owls this year.

 

I arrived around 5.20pm and was warmly welcomed by the farmer and his wife who quickly ushered me into the kitchen which over looks their rear garden. If the previous few evenings events were anything to go by its arrival was expectant any minute. I was informed that it tended to favour a couple of posts for perching next to the the apple tree. I had a look out of the window and it wasn't there yet, I thought it was still too light so I decided to quickly nip outside to the adjacent barn and check if there were any pellets underneath the new box I put up a few weeks ago.

 

I'd only taken a few steps out of the back door when a cry came from within the house "its here". I dashed back inside but missed it, doooh! We waited a few minutes to see if it would return but it didn't. I then ventured outside and had a wandered around the barns but I couldn't locate it. It was obviously spending a lot of time around here as I found numerous fresh pellets scattered around.

Whilst checking out the barns a "white object" caught my eye in the distant field, it was the Barn Owl! Not one of my finest images but it was taken at distance and in very poor light, but there is no mistaking it is deffo a Barn Owl.   

 

Barn Owl - Site No 12

I know of a breeding pair of Barn Owls that raised young only a couple of miles from this location last year, my money is on this bird being one of those dispersing youngster's?? Hope it finds my box to its liking and decides to stay.......