Touched by nature

A few weeks ago I was absolutely thrilled to get my first sighting of a wild barn owl. Driving back late from a cinema trip a ghostly white shape flitted across in front of my vehicle. I let out a little excited squeal. 'I think that was a barn owl' I shouted to my friend, 'Its still there' She shouted. I brought the car to a stop (luckily the roads were dead). The white shape circled back round then came to sit on a fence post just a few meters away from my car. We were gobsmacked. It stared right at us, almost as if sensing our awe at its beauty. Then as quickly as it appeared it took flight and vanished into the darkness.... phew! How incredible!

Photo by: Sugarmonster

The barn owl is widely distributed worldwide and in the UK there are around 3000-5000 pairs. They are not endangered, however their numbers declined during the 20th century which is thought to have been associated with the use of pesticides such as DDT.

Barn owls are usually nocturnal and mainly hunt for rodents, they use their excellent hearing to find their prey and then swallow it whole. They nest in holes in trees but can also use undisturbed buildings such as barns. They normally live for one to three years however the oldest known age in Europe is over 21.

Want more info?
http://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/