Barn Owl Diving

The "Highly-Honored Award" in bird category of the 2015 Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International

Barn Owls are nocturnal and it is rare to see them out and about during the day. There was single occasion, over the last five years, when I witnessed a group in the daytime.

Their flight was silent. They flew, turning their heads from left to right to detect sound. When they sensed something on the ground below, they’d brake, flip their bodies and dive down vertically in pursuit of their prey. Usually, it occurred in a split second. There was no warning beforehand. It was difficult to capture such an image. First, I’d need to be in close proximity of the dive. Second, I’d have to swing my camera lens fast enough to track the action. I was able to capture one shot of the owl from above, in which its wingspan resembled a hand fan. It was pure artistry in flight.

Barn Owl, San Simeon, CA, 2013

Canon 1DX, Canon 600mm F/4, Canon 1.4x III teleconverter, f/5.6, 1/2500s, ISO 3200, handheld