In the last few days I have spotted three Barn Owls early in the morning and all in different places. Whether any of them were the same one I am not sure although they were in three different distinct areas.
The first Barn Owl I saw on the 2nd December was on a circular walk close to home in the morning in half light before dawn, he flew along the Apple trees at the back of Nutmead close in the village and then down the edge of Netmead Lane which takes you to Netmead field and the River Stour, Bere Marsh is not that far as the Owls fly. Around December the Owls start pairing up so maybe a female? Now the Barn has been completed what self respecting Owl would not like to hitch up with the male!
Then on the 5th December I was walking down Melways Lane again in the half light; sunrise is so late now to start the day! I caught movement above some sheep in the field close to the lane, it was very light and thought maybe a Little Egret as I often spot them there and then I thought perhaps my eyes were playing tricks as it was raining a little and not easy to make things out. As the bird flew up the hedgerow line towards Chisel Farm I realised it was a Barn Owl, no doubt with the flight pattern. I hope it soon went to shelter as they are unable to keep dry as their feathers don’t contain the natural oils like other birds. A trade off as it makes them silent flyers but they are unable to hunt if it’s really wet!
My third sighting was this morning, 6th December. I headed down the Bere Marsh thinking it might be a nice sunrise and after the previous days rain floods on the meadows, but the floods were not up and the sunrise was looking like a non event as the clouds came in well before the sun rose. So I decided rather than walking towards Shillingstone I would head towards Bere Marsh Farm, I was coming down the slope to the road when a Barn Owl came along and perched on a fence post, some distance away but I couldn’t mistake it and then he flew off.
I headed towards Bere Marsh Farm hoping he would be hunting in the field next to the Trailway and I wasn’t disappointed, I spotted him in the distance heading my way, he came along the edge of the fence by the Trailway. I tried to get a photo but knew it would be difficult as the light was very low, but I was happy that I got a couple as he passed me by, I could almost touch him he was so close. I watched him for several minutes as he quartered the fields, myself and Tilly didn’t appear to bother him.
I headed up the Trailway once he disappeared and when I got past the Barn I spotted him again quartering the wide grass verge. I took a photo and I’ll call it my impressionist image of a Barn Owl in flight, it was still very dark and it’s the best I could do but I quite like the end result!
They are certainly active at the moment or probably because I am out well before dawn!