Yesterday I joined wildlife officials to check various Barn Owl nest boxes around Rhode Island and band any nestlings found inside. Fittingly, the first stop was a barn and there were four healthy nestlings at various stages of development. Unlike the Peregrine Falcon banding when the parents attacked us to defend their nest, the Barn Owl parents were nowhere to be found. Barn Owls are nocturnal, so they were likely sleeping in a tree nearby and will come to feed the nestlings after sunset. The natural lighting in the barn was absolutely perfect for sharp photos.
I took some video as well – the sounds they make need to be heard to be believed.
At the next stop we saw an adult female barn owl perched on the rafters, but no nestlings inside the box. I got a few pictures before she quickly flew out through a hole in the barn wall.
In this box we could see two adults, but no nestlings inside.
7 Comments
Really wonderful photos, and great, important work– thank you!
Thanks so much Joe, I appreciate it
Pete,
Great shots! You’re one lucky dude. First the Peregrine Falcons, now the Barn Owls. Keep on shooting and have a great summer.
Pete
Thanks Pete – on both banding days I did feel extremely lucky to be there, yep, my favorite days of the year.
I really enjoyed seeing your work, i too have a passion for photographing birds, and
i’m very impressed with your images, thanks for sharing,
Bob Weaver
Newport, R.I.
Thank You, Bob – I recently saw your amazing seagull-vs-snowy photo here: ribird.org/birds_2012 – do you post more photos online?
These are informative views of the banding process and also stunningly beautiful photos of these owls! Wonderful work.