Barn Owls
Near Cow Creek, Lake Oahe
July 5, 2006
Photographed by Doug Backlund, Canon 20D, 500mm lens, 580 EX flash.
I've been watching two barn owl nests. One night about two weeks ago I staked out a burrow with young barn owls. See this link for photos: http://www.wildphotosphotography.com/WildPhotos/BIRDS/barn owls.htm
No adults left that burrow, but at dusk the adults came flying in with food. I was puzzled as to where they roosted. There is another nest with young about 1/4 mile away and another burrow that I have seen a couple of adults roosting in, about 100 yards from the second nest. Tonight I staked that burrow out, thinking that there would be two adults associated with the nearby nest. I was surprised to find that there were at least 5 adult barn owls in that burrow. All of them left the burrow to hunt.
First there was one, I thought...actually the camera shows 3!
Then there were five!
One by one they flew out for the nights hunt.