Journeying back home to Overton from Basinsgstoke, I decided to take the back road route home. It was was a gorgeously well lit late summers evening. I was keeping an eye out for potential spottings.
Glancing over into the fields as I drive myself home, I spotted a small object perched at the edge of a large branch off a dead tree and I pull over. The time of night made me suggest it was a Little Owl. The next day after work I went back out to the same spot but this time equipped with my camera. I found shelter under a fir tree and waited patiently for the Little Owl to show itself again, every night I would spot the Little Owl but by the time I did the diminishing light made it difficult to get a somewhat decent photograph. However patience is a virtue and soon the Little Owl would show itself soon enough.
I had been waiting as usual under the fir tree, camera poised and ready to photograph on the same spot I had been spotting it, just wishing that tonight it would show itself before the evening was out. When there it was... Perched perfectly in front me and looking straight at me, It stood on its perch for a minute or so before taking flight and heading off deeper into the field. Though the photo of the Little Owl isn't my finest work, it is in fact one of my proudest moments as a photographer. The build up to that shot over the past week had been such a valuable lesson for me going forward in the future.
This night wasn't over for me just yet and there was one more surprise left in store. While driving home I managed to capture one of my favourite images. Driving up a small hill and at the top of said hill was a fields entrance which was closed off with its gate shut. Perched a top of this fields gate was a pair of Barn Owls. It was a stunning scene to witness, I reached for my camera in the front passenger seat and pointed at the pair. Obviously as I raise the camera one of the Owls flees off into the night but one remains. My cars headlights and the clean night sky behind it allowed me to get a sharp silhouetted image of the lone Barn Owl. A brilliant night perfectly capped off.
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