The Beautiful Barn Owl.

There is a very small nature reserve close to where we used to stay in North Norfolk where if you were prepared to wait there was always a chance of a Barn Owl. These gorgeous birds were mostly seen in flight but sometimes, although not very often, one would perch on a fence post.
It was a late autumn evening and the marshes were bathed in a beautiful and subtle golden light, the light photographers dream about. We used to pass a couple of hours there on a regular basis in the hope of seeing these lovely birds.
We had waited patiently and had captured a couple of nice flight shots but we were calling it a day and making our way back to the vehicle via a marsh track bordered on both sides by dense bushes. These bushes prevented us from seeing anything on the reserve but also importantly nothing could see us either. As we neared the end of the track the bushes thinned and we could now see a white shape about twenty yards acroos the reserve, we looked closer and could now see a Barn Owl perched on a fence post. These opportunities don’t come around too often so I set up very quietly and just pushed the lens hood through the foliage and took a few shots. The Owl had heard me though and was in flight straight away disappearing over the hedgerow. However, it was too late because I had him, I say him because I think this bird is a male because of the total lack of spotting on the flanks and the really light plumage. Females usually have spotting on the flanks and an ochre breast band.
Stunning bird of our countryside!!