Tawny owl

[nanila]

[Grainy photo of a short-eared tawny owl sitting on a lawn]

I know this isn't the greatest photo of all time. In my defense, I did take it from behind a dusty windowpane in an upstairs bedroom where I was crouched breathlessly lest I frighten it off.

There've long been barn owls living at my partner's parents' home in rural Norfolk, but I'd never seen any other type of owl there. I was surprised, therefore, to see this tawny owl (h/t to shapinglight for corrected identification) sitting on their lawn at dusk a couple of weeks ago. I worked out that it was watching a group of four partridges who were pecking through the pebbles in the drive, closer to the house. They seemed a rather optimistic target, given that the owl wasn't much bigger than they were.

The owl flew off and returned to the lawn several times whilst I watched, but never made a move on the partridges, who eventually moved onto the roof of the house and over to the other side.

Comments

[shapinglight]

Hello there. Wonderful picture. How lucky that you saw it. It is actually a tawny owl.

[paw_prints]

That's amazing that you were able to get so close! What a magnificently beautiful creature. I love owls.

[iddewes]

How lovely that your partner's parents get owls in their garden! <3

[highlyeccentric]

What a good owl!

[st_aurafina]

What an amazing photo! Wow!

[loligo]

I lived in the woods for 10 years with barred owls all around us, and I never managed to get a decent picture! They are stealthy creatures.

[redsixwing]

A wol! *g*

[yourlibrarian]

I did take it from behind a dusty windowpane in an upstairs bedroom where I was crouched breathlessly lest I frighten it off.

Heh, I can relate. It's always a toss up whether going for the camera and trying to get a photo will just scare the birds off so we can't even watch them.

Cute owl! We must have some in the area but I've yet to see any in the decade plus that we've been here.

[veritas_poet]

Oh, I think it's a wonderful picture! Totally natural/spontaneous. I can't imagine seeing an owl just on a lawn like that. I've only ever seen them on TV and perhaps in zoos.

I hate being a city person!

[dhampyresa]

WHAT A CUTE

[manuleanders]

It's a great photo nevertheless!