Barn Owl in flight over the Bear RiverA Barn Owl in flight over the Bear River – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/4000, ISO 500, Nikon 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

I spent about 15 minutes with this Barn Owl yesterday after I spotted it along the north side of the auto tour loop at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. It spent most of its time in flight looking for prey either along the dirt road on the south side of the road or on the north side close to the river.

A cold morning and a Barn Owl in flightA cold morning and a Barn Owl in flight – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikon 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

The lowest temp I saw was yesterday was 11°F and there was snow on the ground which is probably why the Barn Owl kept hunting after the sun came up. I feel blessed that I am able to see and photograph them in the winter but I do worry about them surviving until spring.

Barn Owl hidden in weedsBarn Owl hidden in weeds – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikon 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

At one point I saw the Barn Owl dive down into the weeds and I was able to relocate it on the ground even though it was nearly hidden. I’m so glad I still have great eyes for finding birds. After a bit it lifted of from its hidden location and started hunting again.

Barn Owl hunting near the Bear RiverA Barn Owl hunting near the Bear River – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikon 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

It felt wonderful to spend time with this Bear River MBR Barn Owl yesterday while the sun was shining on the refuge. It won’t be long before the owls begin their breeding season and I hope they are successful.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to view more of my Barn Owl photos plus facts and information about this species.

Some of these images were taken from inside a vehicle, some were taken outside using the vehicle to steady my lens, some were handheld.