An hour in the snow.

I didn't get out of the house until very late today, I kept getting the urge but every time I looked out of the window I thought what the hell I'm staying in the warmth! I don't normally bother about the cold but my tip out with Col yesterday was still fresh in my mind, I still don't think that I'm fully thawed out even now!

 

I'd been thinking all day about the trophy cam that I set up yesterday at a local Barn Owl site. It was the first time that I'd used it and I was dying to see if it had captured the Barn Owl going in and out of the box. So late afternoon I found myself looking out of the window yet again, it was 3.30pm and the sun had just broken from behind the horrid grey clouds.  It was more of a draw than I could resist, I decided a quick trip out to collect the cam would do no harm.

 

I drove up the private road towards the barn and as I pulled up I accidentally flushed out a Little Owl from within a pen holding some new born lambs. I think it must have been appreciating the relative shelter that the corrugated walls offered. It flew up and landed on top of one of the farmers tractors, it was being blown all over the place and fought constantly to keep its balance in the howling wind. But I was prepared as my camera was already set up next to me on the passenger seat.

 

My encounter with the owl at my site No 10 lasted all of 2 minutes, but it was time enough for me to grab a few shots as it sought some shelter.     

 

He then flew up and landed on the side of the barn roof that offered quite an unusual shot.

I anticipated he was about to fly, I quickly pre-focused on the roof about 2 foot in front of him and managed to capture this shot below. 

 

All too quickly he disappeared out of sight, I wasn't going to hang around and wait for its return as it was bloody freezing with the car window wound down! So I carried on to the barn to collect the trophy cam. On the return journey I slowed right down to see if the owl was showing again, and he was and his mate was with him! They were both on the roof of one of the barns sheltering out of the wind, they were distant and the image below is a massive crop, but nice to capture them amongst the snow.

 

Once I got back I checked out the trophy cam, sadly nothing was captured of the Barn Owl, but that's not to say its not using the nest box, more like I didn't set it up properly!