Know a good site/resource for barn owl?

[JohnN]

Hi,

I'm just venturing into wildlife photography and have in interest in all things winged and walking, but I have to start with some focus or another and as I've seen a what I think was a barn owl pretty close to home driving through a wood just round the corner (granted at about 5-6:30 am!), but it does mean theres one near somewhere.

I've also spotted a raptor (not sure of the type).

So any help would be great so I can get an idea what/where I should be looking.

Cheers

[hels]

Hey there!

Not sure if I'm just misreading your post, but I'm not entirely sure what it is you are after? Are you looking for general (internet based) info on barn owls, wildlife photography? Or have I completely misinterpreted it?

And welcome to wab!

[Lerom]

Originally Posted by JohnN

Hi,

I'm just venturing into wildlife photography and have in interest in all things winged and walking, but I have to start with some focus or another and as I've seen a what I think was a barn owl pretty close to home driving through a wood just round the corner (granted at about 5-6:30 am!), but it does mean theres one near somewhere.

I've also spotted a raptor (not sure of the type).

So any help would be great so I can get an idea what/where I should be looking.

Cheers

If it's general info about Barn Owls, where to see them and what to look for, then you could do with visiting the 'Barn Owl Trust' web site.

Not able to give a link to their site for some reason!!!



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[JohnN]

Thanks both, yep it was general info I was after, I think I wrote a little too much of the reason why barn owls and not enough of the what I was actually after.

What I was trying (and failing) to say was:

• I'm getting more serious about wildlife photography having taken snaps before (BiF, snaps of the family, a little portrait etc).
• I've seen what I thought was a barn owl on the way back from night shifts a couple of times at almost exactly the same spot so I know there's one nearby.
• I'm hoping that with that as a starting point and the right information I may be able to get a better idea where it hunts and eventually get some shots of it

Thanks again and I'll look up the Barn Owl Trust site and see what that says.

Edit: I see what you mean about posting links - perhaps there's a minimum post count before link posting is allowed.

[JohnN]

Ah, from a quick read I think it was actually a Tawny Owl as I saw it driving through woodland just sat on the road and I've heard its call since.

[KentYeti]

Originally Posted by JohnN

Ah, from a quick read I think it was actually a Tawny Owl as I saw it driving through woodland just sat on the road and I've heard its call since.

If it's Barn Owls you still want info on, then look no further than the Poyser Monograph on the subject.

The Barn Owl (Poyser Monographs): Amazon.co.uk: D.S. Bunn, A. B. Warburton, R. D. S. Wilson: Books

Very high price, but, IMHO worth every penny of it.

Incredible detail. It brings to life so much of my own infant studies of these wonderful birds.

You can read more of my amateur efforts here at WAB on my continuing blog at:-

Elmley Owls this evening

And see my very modest photographic efforts as I develop my bird web site at:-

Kent Yeti's Bird Photos

Follow the Owls link to Barn Owls, the only detailed page I am developing at the moment. And that is still very much in it's infancy.

Lots more photos to add along with relevant commentary. Here's one that will feature in my "Close Up on Barn Owls" section when I get around to doing that. My aim is to watch and photograph Owls in the wild. But for real close up shots such as that below I will use such as the British Wildlife Center and the Barn Owl Trust.

Cheers,

Bryan

[JohnN]

Thank you, that is an expensive book!

I love the image "008-02-Barn-Owl-Elmley-19August-2011" you did where the owls flying straight at you and thanks also for leaving the EXIF info intact, very useful.

[KentYeti]

John, if you want real detail about Barn Owls in the UK, that is the book to get.

Bryan