Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Barn Owl in Bank Swallow Colony

Following a tip from our friend Gary Worthington, Alex and I were headed for a location where Gary has reliably seen Bewick's Wren.  It was late in the day, so we didn't see it, but we did stop at a massive Bank Swallow Colony.  This is the biggest I have seen.  There are multiple layers, and I am sure a few thousand Bank Swallows are nesting in it.  I didn't have my small lens, so the picture doesn't really do a good job showing it's size.  Bank Swallows seem to be the only species in the small cavities, besides a few European Starlings. 

Bank Swallow Colony

In the largest cavity on the bank, Alex spotted a Barn Owl, which is a favorite bird for both of us (Barn Owl is the first species I worked with).  It looks like it might be on a nest, but it could also just be sitting a little lower.  In western Pennsylvania, Barn Owls are pretty much nonexistant, but they are becoming more abundant in eastern Pennsylvania because of nest boxes that are provided for them.  We see many road-killed on the roads here, unfortunately, so it was nice to finally see one alive.

Barn Owl roosting in Bank Swallow Colony


close-up of Barn Owl...on a nest?

This post is a part of WORLD BIRD WEDNESDAY! Share your bird blog and photos :o)

Posted by at
Labels: ,

18 comments:

  1. UnknownMay 17, 2011 at 6:32 PM

    Wow, I've never seen anything like that. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnnaMay 17, 2011 at 6:36 PM

    Thanks for the comment! Hopefully this bird is on a nest. Barn Owl chicks are really unique and it would be a great place to photograph them! We will check back and post again about it if it turns out to be a nest.

    ReplyDelete
  3. fjällripanMay 17, 2011 at 6:41 PM

    Oh so amazing! Great post. I would love to see it in real.

    ReplyDelete
  4. TammyMay 17, 2011 at 8:03 PM

    I knew this was going to be a special post when I saw the thumbnail. Very cool!

    ReplyDelete
  5. SpringmanMay 17, 2011 at 11:07 PM

    What a strange colony and then to see a Barn owl in the midst of that. Amazing. Bravo to those putting up nest boxes for these birds!

    ReplyDelete
  6. LarryMay 18, 2011 at 1:12 AM

    Wow Anna, this is awesome! I have never seen a Bank Swallow colony this size. I'm amazed the you found that Barn Owl in that mass of burrows!

    Out west we are loosing Bank Swallow habitat because of boulders being used to stop bank erosion destroying the nesting sites on the Sacramento River. More information at www.bankswallows.org

    ReplyDelete
  7. LarryMay 18, 2011 at 1:13 AM

    PS - I'm glad I found your blog! Thanks for posting on WBW!

    ReplyDelete
  8. eileeninmdMay 18, 2011 at 5:16 AM

    Wow, that is very cool. What a great sighting of the barn owl.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Stewart MMay 18, 2011 at 5:33 AM

    Great set of pictures - I have never seen a barn owl nesting in a place like that before.

    Splendid pitures.

    Stewart M - Australia

    ReplyDelete
  10. MaineBirderMay 18, 2011 at 6:52 AM

    Wonderful captures! To see this Barn Owl roosting among the Bank Swallows would be awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hilke BrederMay 18, 2011 at 7:39 AM

    Terrific images of a bird more often heard than seen! They have had a hard winter with all that snow!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Modesto ViegasMay 18, 2011 at 9:11 AM

    Good work!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. holdingmomentsMay 18, 2011 at 11:18 AM

    That's a lot of nesting activity going on there.
    Nice to find a Barn Owl amongst all those.

    ReplyDelete
  14. FotokarusellenMay 18, 2011 at 1:18 PM

    Stunning! A great post and very amazing images. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. theconstantwalkerMay 18, 2011 at 2:33 PM

    A fantastic sight to see.
    Lovely images and many thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnnaMay 18, 2011 at 4:14 PM

    Thanks for all the comments, everyone. Next time I make the trip over there I will take better photos of the whole colony...and hopefully more Barn Owls! Thanks for sharing the link to www.bankswallows.org!

    ReplyDelete
  17. mickMay 18, 2011 at 4:46 PM

    What a fantastic sight! Great photos.

    ReplyDelete
  18. PatMay 19, 2011 at 4:16 PM

    What a awesome sight! Isn't it sort of unusual to see a Barn Owl nesting in the midst of it prey?

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)