Leaderboard

Apologies for the long read! I haven't posted anything here for a few weeks now and although I've managed to get some great photos during that time I would like to jump right up to the present day because I've just spent 3 days, or rather early evenings, trying to capture a specific bird. We went out for a walk last Wednesday morning along the Leeds & Liverpool canal near Gargrave and Pam spotted a Barn Owl a distance away on the other side of the canal. It was too far away for a decent photo but it's the first time I have actually been able to stand there and watch one flying around. I wasn't aware that they were even active at 9.30am! A (very friendly) farmer was tending his sheep in the field next to the towpath and he was curious as to what we were trying to photograph. He told us that the Barn Owls were nesting in an old Ash tree which he pointed out to us but it isn't in a location that is easily or safely accessible as it was alongside the main A65 where there is no footpath. Anyway, I was determined that I would try to get a photo. Two days later I went alone along the canal armed with my camera. I decided to go in the early evening so it was approximately 7pm as I set off along the towpath. There was no sign of any Barn Owls so I continued walking to a spot where I had previously seen Curlews and Brown Hare's in the hope of getting a picture of some sort before turning around and making my way back. Not far from where we had previously seen the Owls 2 days earlier there was a moored narrowboat and the gentleman onboard was looking through his binoculars. As I passed I asked if he had seen anything interesting as I was going to mention about the Owls and would you believe it, he was actually watching a Barn Owl which he pointed out to me. Yes, there it was, on the towpath side of the canal on the far side of the field where the farmer had been speaking to us earlier. I managed to focus on it but it was by now getting very dull with some dark clouds looming overhead. It dropped to the ground and came up with a mouse before immediately heading back towards the Ash tree. It then diverted slightly and began heading directly for me, looking me in the eyes before swerving its way around me. I couldn't have positioned myself better if I had tried. Wow! I just kept snapping away but the photos were very dark and although I couldn't have wished for better poses, the quality was somewhat disappointing. The following day I tried again but there was no sign of the Owl and, to cap it all off, after standing there for almost 2 hours the heavens opened and I got soaked to the skin before I could make it back to the car. Undeterred, the following evening I was back for another try with a slightly brighter sky and I was feeling optimistic. I paced up and down for 2 hours, snapping away at anyting that moved but although I had a great view of the Ash tree the Owl hadn't made an appearance. One last look before I called it a day (or night!) and wait a minute, there was just a small speckle of white. Looking closer it was a Barn Owl just about to emerge from a cavity in the tree, which it did a few seconds later. I was hoping it would come across the canal again but instead it stayed on the opposite side, across the road, and across the field. But then it turned and flew directly towards me just as it had done 2 days before. I was standing right in front of a small tree so was well camouflaged and I got a number of photos before it eventually set eyes on me and went on its merry way. I continued to watch it at a distance for some time afterwards as it hunted for prey. So the pictures...well as I said, the earlier ones were very dark due to the conditions but luckily modern photo editing software is capable of rescuing them to some extent so here is the Barn Owl on that first evening with its prey. The second night was in slightly better light And although I clipped one of its wings in this next photo, I decided to crop it slightly and focus attention on the face as it closed its eyes They are just 5 from well over 200 photos I took over those 2 nights and I must admit that it feels worth all the standing around and all that soaking I endured.