About the Workshop

The Barn Owl workshops will take place in and around the Lizard in Cornwall, one site is on private farmland and the other is on land owned by a Wildlife organisation whose permission has been sought.

Barn owls will mainly hunt at dawn and dusk but may sometimes be seen hunting even in the middle of the day, especially when they have young owlets to feed or after a prolonged period of wet and windy weather. I will talk through the techniques and tips that will allow you to get closer to these beautiful birds, increasing the chances of securing some truly magical images and memories.

I will impart my in-depth knowledge of Barn Owls and will also chat about some of the correct camera settings, talking through anything that you don’t understand. I will also give you some important hints & tips that you can take away with you and use in the field yourself, improving and increasing your overall photographic success. Due to the busy nature of feeding young Owlets and the high-activity periods of the short tailed field voles which are it’s preferred prey, it maybe necessary to be flexible on timings nearer the start of the workshop. ( Dusk & Dawn )

I have been watching and photographing the Owls over the two sites for many years and know them intimately, I have placed various posts for the Owls to use to hunt from. Most of the time we will be in a fairly static position but due to the birds hunting in different areas because of wind and weather we will need to be quite mobile over easy terrain to track and watch them hunting, mindful to steer clear of the nest site due to the protected status of Barn Owls. We will also use portable hides where necessary.

Any questions you have please feel free to get in touch and I will help answer them for you.  ( Check out my YouTube videos below )

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

• DSLR - Mirrorless -Bridge Camera.

• Lens at least 400mm or above should be sufficient.

• Tripods aren’t essential but for video they are advisable.

• Beanbag Support.

• Warm waterproof clothing and good footware.

• Memory cards and batteries.

• Flask and a snack - Not provided.

• Camera and a lens can be provided at additional cost.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Fitness - We will spend time moving up and down the river in search of Dippers, this involves some walking over moderate terrain so a basic level of fitness is required.

• I will be running these workshops through March, April and May, if you can’t make these dates please let me know and we can look in to an alternative date.

The Barn Owl is perhaps our most familiar owl, it will sometimes hunt in the daytime and can be seen 'quartering' over farmland and grassland looking for its next small-mammal meal. However, it is perfectly adapted to hunt with deadly precision in the dark of night: combined with their stealthy and silent flight, their heart-shaped faces direct high-frequency sounds, enabling them to find mice and voles in the vegetation.

The barn owl has a mottled silver-grey and buff back, and a pure white underside. It has a distinctive heart-shaped, white face, and black eyes.

Below in Pt’s 1,2 and 3 you’ll get an insight into the Barn Owls behavior and how to get the best out of your photographic workshop.