Des Ong Barn Owl

Des is a well known wildlife photographer who rents out hides and runs workshops/tours under the name Captivating Nature.

You get let into the Barn Owl hide about an hour before dusk, so while there is the possibility of daytime shots it's most likely that you'll be photographing the owls under artificial light. The lighting setup is constant LED, so no flash shenanigans are required.

As my day in the hide came nearer, I considered cancelling as the weather forecast was dreadful. By an incredible coincidence Youtube suggested one of Mike Lane's videos - one where he was at this hide. His day was also a rainy one and the owls came down just fine. So, I kept my foot in and went to the hide.

The rain was torrential and the wind was absolutely howling when I got there and I wondered if I had made the right decision. I've never seen a Barn Owl out in the rain and they've never seemed to like the wind either.

The hide itself is a wierd trailer thing, I think it gets trundled around the farm infront of various perches for different target species (I could see the gate that been all over instagram with Kestrels sat on it). Its a snood type hide too.

In spite of the terrible weather the Owls made numerous visits to the perches in front of the hide, allowing me to get a range of shots. My favourite being when the rain was heaviest as I was able to get a streaked rain background - one for the portfolio too.

If you wish to book this hide yourself you can do so here.