Barn Owl

I first saw the Barn Owl sitting on a fence post by a frequently used footpath and spent some time watching it.  A lady came by with a dog and it took off and circled around the field flying low and periodically alighting on fence posts as it went.  It would spend a few minutes on each one and once or twice dropped to the ground but without seeming to catch anything.  Then it disappeared into some long grass for a couple of minutes, eventually flying up onto another post, carrying something in its beak.  Unfortunately, it sat with its back to me, but turned around to reveal a large black object, presumably a vole in its beak.  It threw its head back a few times and when it turned round again the prey item had gone.  Swallowed whole.  It rested for a while and then flew away over the tree tops.

I have watched Barn Owls in these fields on a number of occasions and I was struck this time by how frequently that it landed on fence posts and how long it remained on each one.  Clearly this is an energy efficient method of hunting and very appropriate for this cold weather.