A Barn Owl at Abberton Reservoir

22nd April 2025

Barn Owls normally hunt from dusk and during the night but when they have young and therefore more mouths to feed they also hunt during the day. The pair of Barn Owls at Abberton had five eggs this year of which two have hatched so are therefore starting to hunt a little earlier in the afternoon.

I saw one fly past the Hide Bay Hide and then a little later past the Island Hide. When I arrived in the hide the bird was sitting in a tree, a long way away towards the Gwen Hide. After a couple of false alarms it eventually took to the air, but instead of giving us a close flypast in the hide, was harassed by a corvid so gained height and flew over the hide rather than past it making photography a lot more difficult.

Anyway here is a selection of what I managed.

I will certainly be back when more chicks have hatched, they are a bit more active and hopefully get some eye-level shots.

Also good to meet Maurice Knott and Peter Jackson.