Barn Owl ( Tyto alba )

Clickychick is still not on full form so a quiet morning round the hotel.  Well quiet apart from the fire alarm test we didn't know would happen.

In the afternoon we made our way once again to Staveley nature reserve.  We only wandered as far as the first hide where we had enough photo opportunities.  We got chatting to a couple who shared the hide with us.  The woman got quite excited when we pointed out the couple of owl pellets she had walked past on her way in.

While the conversation was on owls we spotted one hunting over the fields, so CC and I left the hide and walked down to the best view point for the fields.  Just as we arrived it flew towards us and then dropped into the grass.  I suspected it had killed by the way it was mantling and the time it stayed down.  I grabbed a couple of shots before it took off.

As it left a Kestrel attacked it trying to force it to part with its prey.  We had gathered from a local a day or two ago one particular bird sits on a post and waits for the owls to catch something.  This time it was unlucky and the owl flew to the wood where we believe it nests in barn.

A few minutes later it reappeared and almost immediately dropped into the grass ( a long way away) it rose quickly and headed straight back into the wood so I assume it killed again.  That was the last we saw of it.