After a session looking around fields and hedgerows for a morning meal, one of the Barn Owls near to RSPB Bempton thought it had done its job by catching prey to keep it going for the day ahead.
As it was heading back to enjoy its well earned meal, a bold Kestrel swooped down and stole the Bran Owl’s catch – despite a bit of tussle.
Photographer Mark Hepples was right on the spot captured a stunning set of images showing the drama this morning at Bempton.
Mark explained: “The images were taken at 8:14 this morning. I’d just missed out on the Short Eared Owls. I just turned round to see the Barn Owl flying away with its catch. Out of nowhere the Kestrel attacked the Barn Owl and successfully stole the catch.”
The birds don’t usually interact much, but they are known to have some rivalry when it comes to a tasty snack…they often compete for the same food sources, such as small rodents.
And they have been known to fight each other to defend their nest
Barn owls are one of the most recognisable owls with a distinctive heart-shaped face. Male barn owls typically weigh around 1 pound, while females can weigh up to 1.6 pounds.
Barn owls are generally found around grasslands, farmland, and feed primarly on small mammals, such as mice, rats, and voles
Kestrels are a smaller bird of prey typically weigh around 3.5 -4.5 ounces -around a quarter of the weight of a fully grown Barn owl.
Kestrels are carnivorous and feed primarily on small mammals and hunt during the day in most cases.
For the technical minded Mark shot the images on Canon R5 with a Canon 400mm F4 DO mk lens plus a 1.4x extender, giving Mark a focal length of 560mm.
