Mouse for dinner again? Amazing pictures capture a barn owl enjoying a spot of dinner

By HELEN COLLIS

Successful hunt: A beautiful barn owl lands on its perch having successfully caught a fat mouse for dinner

There's nothing more satisfying than enjoying a favourite meal when hungry.
And for this lucky photographer, they captured a barn owl eating a fat mouse then apparently showing its satisfaction by 'smiling' into the camera.
It only takes a few gulps to consume the big mouse, before only the tail is left poking out of the satisfied bird's mouth.

Mouthful: It was an eye-watering mouthful to get down in one go, but the hungry owl didn't seem to mind

These fabulous pictures were taken in Bamburgh, Northumberland, as the bird had a spot of dinner.
Photographer Chris Hadfield, 58, from Durham, took up photography three and a half years ago.
She said: 'I am just glad I managed to capture the shot.

Gobbling: For such a big meal, the owl made light work of getting it down

'I love the smile on the owl's face as he gets to eat his mouse.
'I love the last mouthful, or mouseful, with just the tail sticking out.'
She added: 'I have only been doing photography for three and a half years as a hobby but I do take it seriously.
'I am just pleased if people like what I capture, and these shots have had a good reaction.

Content: With just the tail left to swallow, the owl gave the photographer a rare smile, looking content with its full belly

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2430378/Barn-owl-enjoys-spot-dinner--right-mouses-TAIL.html
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Ready for take-off: Tiny owl makes its first successful flight from the top of a barn door

Photographer caught the moment a tiny owl made first flight
Pictures show owl standing nervously on door's edge before leaping out

By ANTHONY BOND

Wide-eyed: Perched on one leg inside a disused barn in Merseyside, these two baby owls look out into the big wide world, preparing for their first flight

For any young owl, the first flight out of the nest is a nervy occasion.
And as these incredible pictures show, for this baby owl in Merseyside it was no different.
Photographer Steve Ward caught the moment a tiny owl decided to make its first successful flight from its nest in a disused barn.

Nervous: The young owl appears to test the water by hanging a leg over the edge of the barn

Bold: Summoning all of his concentration, the youngster decides to leap towards the great unknown and attempt to fly for the first time

Just a week ago, Mr Ward caught the owlet with a sibling each standing on one leg on a ledge of the barn.
They had begun to edge out from the nest as they became more bold in readiness to fly.

Brave: With his eyes flixed on his destination, the owl launches himself into flight

He has kept an eye on them ever since and finally caught one of them launching itself off the barn for its first swoop.
Mr Ward , 34, set up his hide about 12 metres from the barn and was even forced to strip to his boxers in the sweltering heat inside as he waited up to 17 hours a day to get the shots.

Success: The owl passes its first major test in life by stretching out its wings and flying with ease

He said: 'I loved the pictures I got last week, especially the one of the pair of owlets each standing on one leg.
'It is the one on the left that I finally captured flying.
'I could tell by how bold they were becoming, edging out onto the ledge to be fed by their mum, that they were getting ready to learn to fly.
'I erected my pop-up hide at 5am on site and waited patiently for the juveniles to appear in a hole in the barn door, about four feet off the ground.'
'It was a mere five hours until one appeared.'
Mr Ward said it was at about 10am when one tiny owl showed its face.
He said: 'Looking confident it stretched its wings, checked the flight equipment and posed like a true caped crusader.

Hungry: The two young owls had earlier been spotted wrestling over a large worm

Dedicated: The photographer waited up to 17 hours a day to get the shots

'Then it scratched the surface beneath its feet to make sure the ground was firm, checked the sky for clearance and potential predators and took a leap - straight down on the grass below like a cannon ball.
'It all happened incredibly quickly and the pictures of it on the ground looked very messy. I was also laughing at the sight in my camouflaged hide.
'Flapping its wings it managed to hop back up on the barn door for a second and third attempt as its mother hooted encouragement from a tree about 45 feet away.
'On the fourth attempt he avoided the drop and took to the sky giving me a great shot against the dark light coming from the gap in the barn door and being lit by the gorgeous morning sunlight outside.'
Mr Ward said that the conditions did make the shoot difficult.
He said: 'After a 17 hour shoot in the hide from 5am to 9pm I was exhausted and down to literally my boxer shorts as it was 28 degrees and with no breeze in the hide it gets seriously hot. It was a good job I took a few litres of water with me.
'But these are lengths us nature photographers have to go to to get and witness such wonderful moments such as these.
'It was a first for me and one I will never forget.'

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2378046/Tiny-owl-pictured-making-successful-flight-barn-door.html
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The Ministry of Silly Squawks! Owl's bizarre stroll as it walks around looking for food

By SARA SMYTH

Ungainly take off: The bird looks more assured with both feet on the ground as it stalks for prey

These bizarre images show a group of owls marching through a Lancashire farm in search of dinner for their newly-born young.
The birds, who had just hatched owlets, strutted while they hunted for food.
The scene was captured by photographer Austin Thomas, who said he had to stay camouflaged and stop himself from laughing so he wouldn't disturb the birds.
He said: 'They are both fascinating and amusing at the same time.

Head first: The owl's fascinating movements were captured by photographer Austin Thomas. In this action shot, the bird lunges forward with both legs stretched behind him- perhaps he is preparing to fly

On the march: The speckled owl has a determined look in its eye as he pushes ahead from the pack. The owl's movements mimick that of a marching army

Hop to it: The owl looks serene as it moves through the air, on a mission to find food

'They have such personalities and facial expressions it was incredibly difficult not to laugh at times as the action was genuinely funny.
'They give no warning and move erratically in random directions when they decide to move. That is difficult for me to predict and also difficult for the camera electronics to keep the owls in focus.

Left, left, left, right, left: This image of the owl head-on shows him balance on one leg in a regimented fashion

'It actually reminded me of the nursery rhyme 'The Grand Old Duke of York' because of their movement.
'These owls are definitely at the top my of favourite things to take pictures of - I never get bored of watching them.'

On the move: The owl stretches its talon in mid-air as it struts to find food for its young. The pictures give an up-close look at the bird

Getting in a flap: The brown owl extends a wing and looks ready to fly as it gains momentum on the ground

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Minerva the owl is a real head turner: Bird spins her head 180 degrees during photoshoot

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

What a hoot: Minerva turned her head upside down as she listen to the sound of a nearby camera

This owl may have been left wondering if turning her head completely upside down was a very wise thing to do.
The intrigued bird spun her head around as she listened to a camera busily snapping away at her.
The owl, called Minerva, twisted her head in confusion and continued until it had moved a full 180 degrees.

The bizarre sight was captured at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri, U.S.

Owls cannot move their eyes in their sockets because of their large size that enable them to catch prey in the dark.
Therefore, they rely on a deceptively long and flexible neck that enables them to rotate their heads.
The birds can move their head up to 270 degrees in either direction to see their surroundings.
Photographer Lisa Kee, 48, caught the painful-looking pose on camera.

As the sound continued Minerva turned her head a full 180 degrees

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The Hidden Hooter: Adorable baby owl is camouflaged by mother's feathers

By SAM WEBB

Where did he go? This photo shows the mother great horned owl and her baby camouflaged against her feathers

A wildlife photographer taking pictures of a owl in a Californian park was amazed to discover she had unknowingly snapped a tiny owlet - perfectly blending into its mother's plumage.
Marina Scarr only realised her pictures showed two owls after she looked at the shot on her camera, taken in Desoto Park, Florida.
Marina said: 'When I took the picture, I had no idea there were two birds there.
'I was quite far away from the next, under a canopy so I didn't scare the birds, and the light wasn't good.

Can you spot the baby? The owlet is slightly easier to see in this picture. The mother uses her feathers to protest her baby from predators

'Then I heard a young boy shout out 'Look at the baby in the belly'. I started shooting, but even then, I couldn't see it myself.
'It was only when he started poking his head about that I spotted him.
She took the photo on her second visit to the nest as she had hoped to get the mother and baby great horned owl in the same shot.
Originally there were two owlets, but one died at about six days old. The one in the photos is about 10 days old.

Wildlife photographer Marina Scarr only realised she had taken pictures of two owls after she looked at the shot on her camera

She added: 'The babies are born white, but when they are about 10 to 12 days old, the feathers start turning a tan colour.
'The mother owl is actually blind in one eye, but still manages to raise young with her mate every year.
'Before this owlet was ready to fly, he fell out of the nest several times and had to be put back in by the park ranger.
'I photograph the owls here every year. I love being out in nature and photographing its wonders, I find it soothing.
'I feel privileged when animals behave totally naturally when I am in their presence, giving me that opportunity to share their beauty and quirky behaviour.'

source: dailymail

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Meet Gandalf the agoraphobic owl who's so afraid of the great outdoors he's been given his own brick house

By LEON WATSON

Mark Bridger captured this owl looking out of a window at an outbuilding at Knowsley Safari Park in Prescot, Merseyside

An owl who is afraid of flying outside in big open spaces has been given his own red brick house.
Gandalf the Great Grey Owl gets scared flying out in the open so his owners have built his aviary inside a brick shed.
He now spends his days watching the world go by out of his window.
'He is a bit of a wuss as he doesn’t like flying in big open spaces,' said owner Janet Southard, who runs the Wild Arena photography company, based inside Knowsley Safari Park near Liverpool.

'When we moved here we put him in the shed temporarily while we built his aviary outside.
'But he didn’t want to move so now he has an aviary inside the lovely red brick shed.
'He loves sitting at the window and watching the other birds.'

Mr Bridger, 44, from West Malling Kent, said: 'It transpires that the great grey owl is called Gandalf and lives in that outbuilding.'

Gandalf the Great Grey Owl gets scared flying out in the open so his owners have built his aviary inside a brick shed

The owl lives at Knowsley Safari Park and belongs to the staff of Wild Arena photographic workshops

But amateur photographer Mark Bridger, 44, from Kent, had quite a fright when he saw the big round face at the window.
'I looked around and saw this face at the window, then suddenly realised it was an owl. It gave me quite a shock.
'You don’t normally expect to see an owl in a house. He looked quite ghostly.'

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Pictured: The astonishing moment an owl snatched up a full-grown cat for a 'light' meal

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Big appetite: Swooping in, an owl is caught wide-eyed clutching a domestic cat in its talons as seen in this photo taken in Minnesota

In the famous poem by Edward Lear the owl and the pussy cat marry and dance by the light of the moon.
But as this amazing photo shows, the love and affection expressed by the pair in their beautiful pea green boat does not extend to the battle of survival in the wilds of Minnesota.
This brazen barred owl is pictured grabbing the hapless domestic cat after swooping out of the darkness in a surprise attack.

Make believe: Seated in a row boat, poem The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear contrast a friendly pair of newly weds basking in the light of the moon

According to nature experts in the U.S., the owl - which is easily identified by its evening call that sounds like ‘Who cooks for you! Who cooks for you!’ – repeatedly drops its oversized prey from high up in attempt to stun it into submission.
It then devours its meal - with not one of Lear’s famous ‘runcible’ spoon’s in sight.
The owl is known by other names, including Eight Hooter, Rain Owl, Wood Owl, and Striped Owl.
But it is probably best known as the Hoot Owl based on its distinctive, culinary call which is repeated eight times in sequence.

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We told you not to look down: Owl can't resist a peek at drop as he prepares for his first flight

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Contemplating drop: These three Little Owls prepared for their first flight as they emerged from their burrows

When you’re taking a leap of faith, you need a little support from your friends.
But as these fledgling owls in Israel prepared for their first flight, even a group hug wasn’t enough to stop one opening its eyes and appearing to contemplate the drop below.
Amateur photographer Vladimir Kogan hid nearby and waited patiently for these three owls to emerge from their burrows near the town of Beit She’an.

Group hug: The three birds got close on their perch as amateur photographer Vladimir Kogan photographed them in Israel

Known as Athene noctua or Little Owls, these birds were sacred to the goddess Athena in Greek mythology and is usually found in the warmer parts of Europe, Asia and North Africa.
They grow to up to 10 inches in length and prey on insects, earthworms and even small birds and mammals.
They were introduced to Great Britain in 1842 by British aristocrat Thomas Powys and are now acclimatised here.

Sacred to goddess: Known as Athene noctua or Little Owls, these birds were sacred to the goddess Athena

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From fluffy chicks to birds of prey: The pictures which capture the transformation of growing barn owls

By PHIL VINTER

Smile for the camera: Taken just two months after they were first snapped, this image shows how much the owls have changed in a short space of time

An overprotective mum appears to have literally wrapped her offspring in cotton wool in these stunning pictures.
The young barn owls were snapped by photographer Paul Sawer as they poked their fluffy white heads out of their nest in Saxumundham, Suffolk.
Another picture, taken two months later, show how much the siblings have changed in a short space of time with the downy fur being replaced by a coat of feathers.

Furballs: Photographer Paul Sawer snapped this beautiful photograph of a trio of barn owl chicks as they emerged from their home in Saxumundham in Suffolk

Mr Sawer, 40, said he was lucky enough to capture the youngsters the day before they flew the nest.
He explained: 'I had seen an adult male flying into the nest with a mouse and presumed he was feeding chicks.
'I spent the next few evenings waiting with my camera trained on the nest, days turned to weeks without any sign.

Hungry mouths: An adult Barn Owl brings the chicks some food back to the nest. It is pictured carrying a Common Shrew

'I kept visiting two to three times a week and then I began to hear the familiar hissing of the baby owls calling for food.
'My patience was rewarded when one of the chicks climbed up on to the nest entrance.
'He was soon joined by his sibling and this soon became a trio.
'I would have been happy with a single subject, I was thrilled to get three. I have never photographed two or more together.'
He added: 'A return visit the following evening made me realise how lucky I had been.
'The chicks had fledged and were scattered around the tree, making a shot of them together impossible.'

source: dailymail

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In a flap: The astonishing moment THREE birds of prey were pictured in garden box

By PHIL VINTER

Masjestic: An adult barn keeps a look out from the top box of a pole in a garden in Ashurst, West Sussex. The bird shares the pole with stock doves and kestrels

Not surprisingly these unusual neighbours get a little flighty with each every so often.
Being three different species of birds they are very territorial, but incredibly they have set up home within a metre of each other.
A trio of boxes, fitted to a pole in Ashurst, West Sussex have been occupied by barn owls, kestrels, tawny owls and now Stock doves.

Lively neighbour: The young Kestrel gets in a bit of a flap outside its nest box which is situated behind the Barn Owls

Bottom floor: A pair of adult stock doves occupy the bottom box beneath the barn owls and the kestrels

At one point the boxes housed the three predatory birds - the barn owls, the kestrels and the tawny owls - but a pair of stock doves have now replaced the tawny owls which fledged from the basement nest of the pole.
The wonderful images were taken by part-time wildlife photographer Dennis Bright in his friend’s garden.
The kestrels were the first to take up residence on the pole, but they were soon followed - to the astonishment of interested locals - by a pair of tawny owls and later some barn owls.

High living: The top box houses a barn owl, with a kestrel setting up home behind and slightly below and in the basement are the pair of stock doves which replaced the tawny owls that once resided there

Mr Bright, 64, from Winchester, Hampshire, said: 'It’s just amazing to watch it all happening in front of you and it has been a great pleasure to photograph them.
'But you wouldn’t believe the shenanigans that occur. For instance a kestrel will sometimes stick his head into the barn owls’ box.
'And invariably, there are a flurry of wings as the inquisitive kestrel will get a face full of barn owl talons.
'I’ve seen the barn owls do the same thing too, only for them to get a taste of their own medicine.'

House proud: The young Kestrel pokes his head out from of its nest box. The wonderful images were taken by part-time wildlife photographer Dennis Bright in his friend’s garden

Focused: The adult barn owl surveys the neighbourhood. The pole, with attached bird nests, was one of a number that were installed in the 1990s thanks to funding support from the Environment Agency

Mr Bright added: 'Normally these birds would avoid each other like the plague, so I think it’s pretty much unprecedented to have them in one nesting box.
'They all hate each other and I’m worried what will happen if they all come back again next year.
'But it just points to the lack of natural nesting sites there is for birds at the moment, like trees and hollows.'
Mr Bright took the snaps in his friend Archie Simpson’s garden which is not far from the River Test - a favourite location for kestrels.
The pole, with attached bird nests, was one of a number that were installed in the 1990s thanks to funding support from the Environment Agency.

Curious: The pair of stock doves have now replaced the tawny owls which fledged from the basement nest of the pole

Predatory: The owl keeps an eye on the scenery from its high perch. The unusual proximity of the birds has been put down to a lack of natural nesting sites in the UK

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Hoo do you think you are?! Bully boy owl makes surprise swoop to knock unsuspecting female off her perch

Chivalry is dead: The male burrowing owl descends on the unsuspecting female from behind as he attempts to steal her perch

This female owl looked the picture of contentment as she sat on a fence post - until she was subjected to a spectacularly rude surprise attack.
A male flew up behind her and knocked her off the post in an attempt to win the prized spot. He had been struggling to get purchase on the barbed-wire fence and clearly wanted a more comfortable perch. The fascinating behaviour was caught on camera by photographer Rob Palmer close to the small town of Last Chance in Colorado, U.S.
The 58-year-old, from Littleton, Colorado, said: 'This female is a burrowing owl.
'She was being mock attacked by a male along the fence line.
'It just appeared as if he wanted to chase her around. The female looked a bit flustered by it all.'

In a flap: The male starts off struggling to get a foothold on the rusty barbed wire

Envious: Still unable to settle on the uncomfortable stretch of fence, the male burrowing owl sees a far better spot - but it's taken

Dethroned: The triumphant male enjoys his spoils after unseating the female with a surprise swoop

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The baby bird who's having a real hoot: Tiny owl who can't stop laughing

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Very amused: This baby Saw-whet owl appears to be laughing for the camera near Moraga, San Francisco

Something certainly seems to have tickled this baby bird.
Amateur photographer Conrad Tan caught the tiny Saw-whet owl having a real hoot while he was snapping a family of owls in the hills of a small town called Moraga, 30 miles east of San Francisco.
The 42-year-old, an electrical engineer from San Jose, California, heard reports that two baby owls had been sighted in a nesting box in the town so headed out with his camera to see if he could catch the perfect shot.
Mr Tan waited for hours for the birds to finally come out of their hiding place and eventually they began to hop around on the branches when, all of a sudden, one of them appeared to crease up with laughter.
He said: 'I'd like to imagine he was thinking of a funny joke another owl had told him.

Bird of prey: Amateur photographer Conrad Tan had travelled to the spot specially to photograph the owls

'I had tried twice to get this photograph. The first time I found them the owls were still in the box but the second time I visited they had fledged and were hopping about from branch to branch. 'The second time I went, I hoped they would be on a branch that was open and in good light and I was not disappointed.
'One baby was very high in the trees and did not give me a very good photo but the second one did everything a wildlife photographer could ask for; he posed, flapped around a bit, gave me several good looks, all in great light and uncluttered backgrounds.' Shots such as these are rare as the owls, which are nocturnal, are notoriously hard to spot.
Mr Tan, who first got into photography to make his own desktop backgrounds of landscapes and later fell into wildlife photography, described his excitement at capturing the creatures for the first time in the wild.
He said: 'I had tried to take some photos of a couple of Saw-whet owls two years ago but they didn't come out.

Peek-a-boo! The tiny bird nervously peeps out of his birdbox home in the hills

'When I first saw them in the box, I was so overjoyed I could barely contain myself. I could feel my heart racing.
'The birds don't come out in the wide open often, preferring heavy branches and leaves to hide especially as they get older. When they are young their fear of humans isn't quite developed yet.
'They seemed to be calling for the parents to come feed them and being little raptors they need a steady supply of mice.
'I've seen many photos of saw-whet owls up in the trees, or being handled by rehabilitation personnel. Only very few are out in the open and it's even less common to catch them being as animated as this little fellow.'

Rarely seen in the day: The birds are usually nocturnal so it was a rare treat to see them in the light

Saw-whet owls are strictly nocturnal with activity beginning at late dusk. During the day, they depend on their plumage for camouflage when roosting in foliage, usually close to the ground.
When threatened, a saw-whet owl will elongate its body in order to appear like a tree branch or bump, often bringing one wing around to the front of the body.
The Saw-whet owl makes a repeated tooting whistle sound. Some say they sound like a saw being sharpened on a whetstone, hence their unusual namesake.

source: dailymail

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