Barn Owl vs Kestral Photographs

Quite often a photography excursion results in a very different outcome that’s planned, wildlife photography in particular often results in frustration and a distinct lack of photos. However every so often a trip out results in either witnessing, or if you’re very lucky recording on film of a rare natural spectacle as it did for wildlife photographer and bird specialist Mark Hancox of Worcestershire.
 
Mark was out watching a Barn Owl hunting over farmland, a rare sight in itself, as the bird swooped back up from plucking a vole from long grass a Kestral that Mark had noticed hovering close by dive-bombed the owl. As it did the owl let go of its meal and the Kestral claimed it for itself. Mark commented that he had been observing the Barn Owl hunt for several weeks and had in fact seen the Kestral snatch food away from the owl twice before. On these previous occasions he was not close enough to record this unusual behaviour.

Mark, a specialist in photographing birds added that at this time of year owls can get short of food, forcing them to extend their hunting into the day. This combined with the birds proximity to him gave him a one-in-a-million opportunity to record this fantastic event on film.

Mark’s stunning photograph landed him a runners-up prize in www.birdguide.com ‘s photo of the year competition. Graham Appleton, director of communications at the British Trust for Ornithology and one of the judge’s of the competition commented ''I appreciate pictures that tell stories, which is certainly the case here. I really like the way that the light is caught through the flight feathers and the movement captured in the wing beats.'