BARN OWL
Tyto alba
I recently joined David Tipling on a trip to Norfolk to photograph Brown Hares. While there, he suggested we visit Richard Brooks, a friend who has a lifelong passion for owls – and Barn Owls in particular. Richard has personally constructed and erected 700 owl boxes across north Norfolk. As I was in the area for three days it was a wonderful addition to my itinerary. What I wasn’t expecting was to see five Barn Owls sat in the surrounding trees! There was no hide, plus there were only two domestic lamps complete with a domestic extension lead providing sufficient light for the camera’s auto-focus. The unusual environment added to the experience – we just stood and took our images. It was the first time I had used flash in wildlife photography; however, I think a two-flash setup would be better – something I will do next time. Many thanks to David and Richard.
